A Mother's Devotion
by Aylen-Aussie
Summary: Cloverspirit only wanted what was best for her clan! A medicine cat trained by Starclan themselves, she didn't understand how it could turn out like this... How she had fallen in love with one of the most mousebrained toms in Amberclan.
1. Allegiances

**A L L E G I A N C E S**  
**L E A D E R **  
Cinderstar - Pretty blue-grey she-cat with icy blue eyes.  
**D E P U T Y****  
**Whiteleaf - White tom with green eyes. **  
****M E D I C I N E C A T ****  
**Cloverspirit White she-cat with lime green eyes. **  
****W A R R I O R S****  
**Ferndream - A dappled chocolate queen with stunning green eyes.  
Redfire - A ginger tom with orange eyes.  
Embersky - A dusty colored she-cat with light grey eyes.  
**apprentice: **Northpaw  
Dawnblaze - Dark ginger she-cat with yellow eyes.  
**apprentice: **Lightpaw  
Flarestrike - Light ginger tom with yellow eyes.  
**apprentice: **Sharp-paw  
Crowtalon - Black tom with brown eyes.  
Silentstream - Lovely light grey she-cat with ocean blue eyes.  
Brightdream - Tortoiseshell with dark green eyes.  
Sunflower Golden calico she-cat with light green eyes.  
Ashfall - Grey tabby she-cat with orange eyes.  
Jayheart - Silver tom with blue eyes.  
Rayshine - Golden tabby tom with amber eyes.  
**A P P R E N T I C E S****  
**Sharp-paw - Dark grey tom with navy blue eyes.  
*Mars (Northpaw) - Brown tabby she-cat with green and yellow tinged eyes.  
*Caramel (Lightpaw) - Ginger tabby she-cat with white paws and grey eyes**  
****E L D E R S **  
Lostfur(Darkpelt) - Mangy black she-cat with orange eyes.

*= characters who will not be introduced until later chapters


	2. Prologue

**Summary: **Flarestrike is no ordinary warrior. He is mischevious and playful, everything a proper warrior isn't. His apprentice is his loyal side-kick and his crush ignores him half the time. Cloverspirit is sweet and has a special connection to Starclan after her mentor died and she had to be specially trained. Sister to the beautiful Brightdream, she can't but feel inferior. That is, until one day she tells Flarestrike her story of jealousy and longing and each brings out a side in eachother nobody else has ever even glimpsed. With a haunting prophecy and dead relatives trailing her every pawstep and now pregnancy, Cloverspirit has a lot on her mind. Flarestrike is determined to save his kits from being thrown into turmoil because of his ignorance and will go to extreme lengths to do just that, even if he has to get his paws dirty. Watch as their story unfolds from a time after the clans, where good can be mistaken for bad and love for hate. But, don't they always say a father will do anything to protect his kits? ****

Ah, so I welcome you to my distraction from Ghost, my personal project I have been working on for a while. So we meet another one of my fan-clans, Amberclan who happens to be sister clans with Koiclan. I didn't exactly know if I wanted to share it with you guys(whoever reads my stories, psh :P), until now. Anway, all these are my kitties I made up while messing with the clan-name generator. And so, their story begins.

It was a full moon shining down on the skinny cats of Amberclan as they slowly descended down into what would soon be their camp. Excitement buzzed through every cat. _This is home! _But, they were not the only cats who had made the journey. Overhead, the cats of Starclan were bounding across the sky in brilliant novas of light, re-joicing in their descendant's discovery. Invisible to the warrior's eye, the starry cats flittered towards their chosen place of meeting and dropped down into it.

They charged along the tunnel, making the walls glow with eerie light that rippled along like it was throbbing. As they reached the end, the cats fanned out to reveal four of them, all sitting in a square.

"What will we name it?" Said a fairly young cat, about 7 moons with a grey tabby pelt.

His eyes were golden and held sadness in them.

"Mooncave, of course." Answered a pretty golden tabby.

"Fitting." Said a black tom with a sour note in his voice.

The she-cat beside him was a sandy color and she hissed.

"You know why we're here." Said the golden tabby, her head turning slightly.

"The strange visions we all received, and the only Starclan cats to receive it."

Answered the young cat. The sandy colored she-cat began stroking Blazepaw, her grandson.

"Let's start talking about the prophecy we received." Said the golden tabby, flicking her tail.

"Fire will ravish the brightest of dreams and bloom a field of spirits with loving paws."

Blazepaw jerked his head at the golden tabby, "That's not how it went!"

He hissed, "I believe we all know what it means! That kit is going to be born tonight. He will only bring trouble in his wake."

Blazepaw snarled angrily. The golden tabby turned and began heading towards the entrance.

"I don't have time for silly prophecies anyway. I have a niece that needs guidance. Figure it out by yourself, Blazepaw!" 


	3. A Moment in the Past

In a forest full of bare trees and weighed down snowy branches; a dappled chocolate queen with stunning green eyes lay on a bed on moss as snow fell around her, the bush providing a safe place to give birth for now. Huddled under the bush were seven cats. One was a blue-grey she-cat, her eyes troubled as she glanced outside.

Multiple other cats were digging holes in the snow and curled around one another. She shivered as she stood in front of the queen, trying to block the wind that rattled the makeshift den. The next was an apprentice, her paw placed delicately on the queen's stomach.

"Not long now, Ferndream." She murmured her green eyes soft.

Lying behind Ferndream was a large red tom, his tail draped across her belly as he licked her ears, his own eyes gentle as he gazed at his mate's belly. Next to Ferndream was a black she-cat with orange eyes, and curled in her belly were two kits, a golden tabby tom and a grey she-cat. Both were covered with the queen's tail as she shielded them from the wind and cold best she could.

Ferndream gave a mew and the apprentices' ears pricked as a kit suddenly fell onto the moss. The red tom looked like he could've yowled to Starclan. As soon as his mom had licked away the fluids around his nose and gotten him stimulated, he let out a shrill meow.

"Well hello to you too!" The red tom smiled, looking at his son lovingly.

Their leader's eyes grew round as she watched Ferndream sit up and nudge him towards her belly.

Then she meowed, "Welcome to Amberclan little one. I can already tell you'll be a great warrior."

**Just a little snippet of Flarestrike's past; his birth. I hate it when all the warriors are constantly saying 'young one'. I like saying little one instead. :0**


	4. Squirrel With No Tail

**So, we meet the main-main character and a few of the important sub-charries in this first actual chapter. Enjoy! **

Something black shot across the forest floor, and then leaped up a tree trunk. A squirrel was bouncing up the trunk, chattering angrily at the black cat now sitting and panting on one of the lower branches. A light ginger tom with amused yellow eyes was emerging from some bushes, his tail raised high.

"Good job Sharp-paw. But I think you're trying too hard. Do you want to be too tired to catch another piece of prey?"

Sharp-paw gazed down at his mentor, dark blue eyes sparking. "No."

The ginger tom swiped at a couple of leaves. "Then get your tail down here and I'll teach you how to catch a squirrel!"

The pair of them began to stalk through the bushes until his mentor stopped. Sharp-paw peeked over the ferns and flicked his ears as he watched his mentor, Flarestrike, slip over the grass, quietly placing one foot over the other in a careful quick motion as he pulled himself along the ground. The squirrel had its back turned and seemed to be digging in the ground. Flarestrike pounced, growling as he shook the squirrel like a dog. Sharp-paw snickered and raced forwards, grabbing the squirrel's tail as they pulled and tugged at it. Suddenly, the black apprentice flew backwards, the squirrel's tail held firmly in his jaws.

"Bleh!" Sharp-paw spat it out and shook his head.

"Wanna eat?" Flarestrike asked, but before he could sink his teeth into the squirrel a voice meowed his name from the bushes.

"Flarestrike!"

The loveliest tortoiseshell was slowly sliding from the bushes, her ears pricked interestedly at the squirrel.

"Fooling around again, Flarestrike?" She asked, seeing the squirrel tail.

"He was teaching me how to hunt squirrels!"

Sharp-paw exclaimed, trying to bring the attention away from his mentor's wincing at her comment.

"What is it, Brightdream?" Flarestrike asked, blinking shyly at her.

"Cinderstar wants you in her den." And with that she turned and padded back into the bushes.

Flarestrike tipped his head at the tail-less squirrel and then charged after her. With a sigh, Sharp-paw picked it up and trailed after them.

"Do you want to hunt later?" Flarestrike asked her as he trotted beside her.

Brightdream looked at him, frowning slightly, "No, sorry, I have to go help Cloverspirit collect burdock root at that hill."

Flarestrike perked up a little, "Do you need an escort? I mean, it is right by the twolegplace."

Brightdream shook her head, "Rayshine... has already offered. He's going to protect us from the dogs."

The ginger tom fluffed up a bit at the name of his denmate in the nursery for five moons.

"Dogs? Against one warrior-"

The tortie flicked her tail, "Two. I'm going, and I'm a warrior."

Flarestrike nodded, and as they entered camp Brightdream turned and headed for her sister's den and Sharp-paw to the fresh-kill pile. His father greeted him and questioned him about why it had no tail. Crowtalon wasn't exactly Flarestrike's best friend, and the ginger tom watched as his apprentice simply shrugged. Flarestrike and Sharp-paw often played about on their training sessions, and being the only apprentice Sharp-paw often needed a break from the running errands for Cloverspirit or taking prey and changing bedding. Some could say he took care of the whole clan.

His thoughts were stalled as he reached the entrance of Cinderstar's den. Mewing a greeting, he slipped in. Cinderstar was burying her prey bones in the back of her den and murmuring a thanks to Starclan as he entered. At his approach she glanced over her shoulder and swept the dirt back into place with her tail.

"Why, hello Flarestrike. Have a seat." She plopped into her nest and he sat down in front of her.

"You asked for me?" He meowed.

Cinderstar nodded, "Yes, how has Sharp-paw been doing with his training?"

Flarestrike pricked his ears; it was often that Cinderstar called him into her den to discuss Sharp-paw. Some of the clan doubted his ability to train an apprentice correctly, but Cinderstar was not one of them. She had mentored Flarestrike herself.

"He has been doing well, though he often over-does things. Today, instead of waiting to get closer to the squirrel he had been stalking, he chased it up a tree and then tried to climb up after it."

Cinderstar nodded.

"He is like his father, impatient. Maybe you should ask one of your sisters to disguise their scent and then let him track her?"

Cinderstar suggested. Flarestrike nodded, Dawnblaze would do. Embersky might get distracted or bored and bail on him or something.

"Is that all, Cinderstar?" Firestrike asked politely.

"Is Sharp-paw ready for his second assessment?"

Flarestrike thought for a moment, and then nodded. "You're dismissed."

Cinderstar nodded at him then smiled. Flarestrike stopped to smile back, a little dazzled at his leader. He always loved Cinderstar's smile, but she was way older than him. But, he had to admit, he'd had a crush on her when he was a young apprentice, before he knew what the word really meant, and before he really had any pull towards any other she-cats. Now, he was focused on Brightdream.

But, as he gazed across the camp, he could see her leaving with Cloverspirit and _him. _He had always like Rayshine as a cat but as a rival for his beloved he could only think of ways to get him away from Brightdream. Slight concern filled him. What if they can't handle the dogs by themselves? Then his mind flickered back to the conversation he'd just had with his former mentor.

"Hey, Sharp-paw!"

He called to his apprentice who was eating the squirrel with his mother, Silentstream. When his name was called the apprentice's head snapped up and he began to pad towards Flarestrike.

Flarestrike swished his tail anxiously, "We're going on a mission." He said.

**Just so you guys know, Flarestrike's personality does a complete 180 in the later chapters of this story, and he was very naughty when he was an apprentice. That's why you won't be seeing a lot of this 'clownish' attitude I will be mentioning a lot, I mean, all cats eventually mature. :P You get to meet Cinderstar, probably my favorite character to write in this story =D She's so cool. **


	5. The Mission

**Another chapter! I have a bunch of chapters that I have yet to upload, and I'll try my best to get those up as soon as I can. But seperating all these lines can get kinda boring. :/**

"I want you to take the lead."

Flarestrike instructed, his ears pricked with seriousness that only came around rarely. Sharp-paw trotted ahead of his mentor, mouth open as he walked along the three cats' trail, his tail-tip flicking with concentration. The pair continued along the trail until they reached a field of long grass. Sharp-paw stopped abruptly, making Flarestrike bump into him. The fur along the apprentice's spine was rising as he breathed along the trail, going from side to side.

Then he growled. Flarestrike dipped his head and huffed in the smells. Intersecting the cats' path was the scent of dog! It had passed along the trail very recently, after the cats were already a distance away. Sharp-paw continued forwards, and every once in a while the dog scent would cross with theirs. The dogs were stalking them!

They reached the edge of the long grass and stared out. They were down-wind, and the cat's had their backs turned to the grass. The twolegplace was always interesting for the clan, it was buzzing with sounds and smells. Flarestrike's fur bristled as he saw Brightdream and Rayshine sitting close together, their tails brushing as they waved with the breeze. Rayshine's golden tail snatched Brightdream's and they weaved together like two snakes. There were three black and brown blurs suddenly, shooting towards the cat's.

"Behind you!" Flarestrike yowled desperately.

They turned just as the dogs descend down upon them. One bowled Cloverspirit over, sending the black roots flying everywhere. It snapped viciously as she dodged it, scratching furiously at its nose. The dog yelped, flinching for a moment as Cloverspirit wriggled off of her back and shot away, the dog hot in pursuit. Rayshine and Brightdream were fighting their own dogs, Brightdream weaving between the creature's legs and nipping at its stomach as it danced about, growling with confusion.

Rayshine was clinging to the other's back, teeth gripping the soft skin between its shoulders. Cloverspirit had appeared again, she was clambering up the lone tree on the hill, the dog snapping furiously at her tail as it disappeared into the lower branches. Then it turned its attention away, drool dripping from its jowls. It spotted Brightdream and shot towards her, howling with bloodlust.

"No!"

Flarestrike screeched; and launched himself up the hill towards the battle. Sharp-paw charged after him bravely. The ginger tom snarled with fury, un-sheathing his claws and slamming into the dog's flank just as it lunged for the killing blow, Brightdream's neck. She was busy with her dog, now hanging onto its hip and scrabbling furiously at it while the dog kicked at her angrily. Rayshine was bleeding from his shoulder, and the dog's back was torn to shreds. He gave Flarestrike an emotionally confused glance then continued fighting.

Flarestrike bit down onto the dog's side with as much force as he could muster. The dog pulled a back leg up and clawed him away, then pounced as he lay dazed. It lunged for his face but something crunched down onto the side of its head. Sharp-paw! The apprentice clung to the dog's ear, pulling it away from Firestrike. He leapt up, seeing Rayshine's dog run away, yelping pitifully. It was limping.

The golden tom hissed and turned to help Brightdream. Firestrike blinked from the stinging on his belly and turned to help Sharp-paw. The black apprentice was doing well, and the dog was now missing an ear. He hissed, smiling with pride as he spat out the black bit. Then he lunged again, claws outstretched as he went for the dog's face.

Firestrike's eyes widened with shock. _No! _But the dog had already stretched its jaws and slammed into the apprentice, clamping its mouth around the left side of Sharp-paw's face. But as the apprentice's paws continued flailing, he bashed the dog upside the head and tore through his cheek fur. The dog dropped him and yelped with agony. Sharp-paw thudded onto the ground like a log. Blood pounded in Firestrike's ears as he raced towards the dog; Brightdream had turned and was already coming at the dog from the side as Rayshine finished off the other one. The dog snorted and spun around and ran back to twolegplace and the other followed quickly.

Blood pooled across the ground from Sharp-paw's face and as Firestrike wailed with anguish and approached him, it stuck to his pads, sick and hot. Rayshine came up beside Firestrike as growled something, but he wasn't listening. Instead, he leaned down and gripped Sharp-paw's scruff between his jaws and heaved his apprentice onto his back. And, without waiting for the others, he blundered through the grass towards the camp.

His muscles burned and his stomach stung as the grass brushed against it, fresh blood streaming from it and down his shoulders from Sharp-paw. He was ready to give up and yowl in pain as he burst through the entrance, made of brambles; they snagged at his fur and before he could get a grip he flipped, throwing Sharp-paw into the middle of camp. He rolled beside him, landing on his back. Gasping, he yowled in pain as his wound grew, making his ginger belly fur grow dark. Before he could say 'mouse' something was stabbing into the wound and he found an angry black face snarling above him.

"What did you do?" Crowtalon shrieked, digging his hind leg into the wound.

Silentstream was licking her son's face, meowing, "Crowtalon, stop! This couldn't have been his fault!"

The fiery black tom opened his mouth, baring his long fangs, "Of course! This mouse-brain dragged him into his shenanigans again!"

Cloverspirit, Brightdream, and Rayshine burst through the bedraggled entrance. Redfire, Flarestrike's father suddenly shoved Crowtalon off of Flarestrike and off of his paws. The two toms snarled angrily at eachother. They crouched down, preparing to spring before a commanding yowl rang throughout the clearing.

"Stop this at once!"

Cinderstar was standing on-top of her den, her teeth bared in anger. Cloverspirit had grabbed Sharp-paw and taken him to her den. Flarestrike blinked his eyes opened as Dawnblaze's scent hovered over him.

"Can you walk?" She meowed softly.

He shook his head and she grabbed his scruff and dragged him gently towards the medicine cat den as Redfire and Crowtalon began a heated argument with their mates, Ferndream and Silentstream bristling and hissing at each other. Rayshine's burning gaze was on Flarestrike until Cinderstar asked him for his story on what happened. Flarestrike sighed softly and he let himself fall into a pain-less sleep.

**I hope you enjoyed that chapter which was 3/4 description and 1/4 dialogue. There will probably be future chapters with the exact opposite, so, prepare. -yawns- Dawnblaze = Flarestrike's sister. Silentstream sounds a lot like Silverstream, two letters apart actually. R&R, + I had some people put this story on their alerts, those count too! Thanks!**


	6. Cloverspirit's Choice

**Today in Amberclan News Weekly we learn about Cloverspirit. Her name(yes, it does kinda sound weird) represents her soft personality. Get it? Clovers, soft... oh whatever. You're hopeless. :[**__

Rweeeeoor!

The screech ripped through Flarestrike's dreams about Brightdream and made his eyes pop open. Sharp-paw was writhing in his sleep, and his face was bandaged heavily and stained red. The cobwebs were beginning to fall off and as he watched, Cloverspirit came over and shushed him with a slow, soft tail across his flank and began to peel them off. Flarestrike winced and tried to stand and winced again.

Cloverspirit turned to look at him and hissed, "Lay back down, you're in no condition to walk."

Sharp-paw stirred a little from what seemed to be nightmares and his dark blue eyes opened, both of them. He saw Cloverspirit give a little sigh of relief that the dog hadn't gouged it out.

"What are you doing?"

Sharp-paw said with an edge to his voice, flinching away from her paws, filled with cobwebs.

"I'm putting cobwebs on your wounds. You were badly hurt in a fight with dogs."

The black apprentice bristled, "I-I know how it happened... I was on a mission... with Flarestrike."

Cloverspirit's light green eyes flickered to him for a moment. _This couldn't have been his fault! _Silentstream's words rang in his head. Was this all his fault? Sharp-paw let out a blast of air and finally let Cloverspirit cover his head with cobwebs. Then he set his head back down and was sleeping again in an instant. Once he was asleep Flarestrike turned his gaze on Cloverspirit, who was rummaging through the cleft in her den where she kept her nest and supplies she didn't want curious kits to muddle with, like deathberries.

"Cloverspirit?" He mewed softly.

"Mhm?" She mumbled a reply, bringing out a few fresh poppy seeds.

"Do you think this is my fault? I mean, Sharp-paw being injured?" |

The white-cat, oddly plain compared to her sister, frowned.

"No, I can't seem to find it in my heart to blame you. You saved our lives."

She blinked appreciatively at him.

"But, Crowtalon will find a way around that fact and blame you. I sense a heavy burden of guilt from this encounter."

Flarestrike tipped his head, "What is it like, Cloverspirit, to be a medicine cat?"

She gave a little smile, cleaning the frown off her face.

"It's the best thing in the whole world, but sometimes I do wonder what it is like to be a warrior, like my sister. What it feels like to be able to face a vicious dog and know you can fight it, to feel the heat of the battle and pride in watching your enemy flee."

"It's an amazing feeling." Flarestrike said. "But today I didn't feel that."

He sighed, and then decided to change the subject.

"Cloverspirit, why doesn't Brightdream like me, like I like her?"

His ears flattened in embarrassment as she jerked her head up in surprise, then shook her head.

"You can't ask me that."

Flarestrike wanted to stand and demand why, but instead he answered as a whisper, "Why not?"

Cloverspirit seemed stressed over something, "Because I'm not Brightdream, that's why!" She hissed.

Flarestrike turned his head, curling his lip up as she began to pace.

"Battle is not the only way of a warrior I wonder about. The law of medicine cats not being able to have kits pins down a part of a she-cat that can't be contained. And Brightdream, she has it all, good looks, personality, and a tom that always looks at her like there is nothing else that can compare to her in the whole of Starclan."

Flarestrike squirmed with discomfort, but, it seemed he was the choice cat chosen to hear Cloverspirit release her feelings about medicine cat life.

"Rayshine?" He meowed, scratching at the ground.

"No- you." She sighed again, a little stressed huff of air.

"And I will never, can never have that. I can't be a mother, have a family, and feel that side of life. I'm trapped in one corner. Sometimes, I wonder if the sacrifice for choosing this life is all that great. When I look at Brightdream, she is happy."

Flarestrike intervened; he couldn't stand hearing Cloverspirit break herself down like this.

"And you're not? You're a skilled medicine cat, being without a mentor for most of your apprenticeship. You have a connection and knowledge Brightdream with never have."

Cloverspirit flicked her ears up.

"Stop comparing yourself to her." He meowed, exasperated.

Cloverspirit wheeled around suddenly, grabbing the poppy seeds with her pad.

"I can't talk to you about this." She said.

"Why not?" Flarestrike asked, struggling up.

"Because, the moment I said I do I laid my own paws in this destiny. This is no time to be having second thoughts."

Flarestrike stood in the entrance to the cleft of the den. Suddenly, he pitied Cloverspirit, and all his thoughts about Brightdream were scooped up and thrown away.

"I can see how your choice has hurt you, and... I'm sorry."

Cloverspirit stuck the poppy seeds back into her den, but not without licking one up. Her eyes were green pools of swirling emotion, and she blinked slowly at him in acknowledgement, then she lay down in her den, putting her head on her paws. Flarestrike stepped towards her; he saw her looking at him curiously.

"I needed to get that off my chest anyway."

Flarestrike leaned into her nest and curled himself up into it beside her.

"Why haven't you ever told Brightdream?" He asked.

"Because she wanted to be a medicine cat too. She wouldn't understand why I didn't like some parts of this choice when all she wanted when she was a kit was to learn the ways I have."

Flarestrike saw that she was getting sleepy and he guessed that poppy seed had been to help her sleep.  
He pressed closer to her and murmured, "Good night."

Cloverspirit twitched a little, "Remind me...to change your bandages... in the morning."

**Cloverspirit is a good medicine cat, she really wants to do what is best for her clan. You'll see this mentioned... later, about at... chapter 15. Heck yes, I got to chapter 15(not including the prologue), before I decided to show it you guys. You're lucky, otherwide I would've finished it and it would've been storaged in my documents to be plucked at when I'm older. **


	7. What Do I Give?

**Yes, I did change the title, since I make the story up as I go along, sometimes things don't always match up when I'm done. Originally, Flarestrike was going to... nevermind. :P I'll tell you about it in l8er chapters. And yes, I have finished the story and there will be a sequeal, renamed the previous title of this one.  
**

The warmth shifted away from him and he groaned in protest, wriggling back towards it. Something batted at his head and he opened his eyes to see a blurry white shape looking down at him.

"Wake up!" Said the voice that had walked in his dreams.

Cloverspirit! He remembered their conversation and his heart dropped as he expected to see her broken with tears streaming down her fur, tail drooping as she began another day of milling over her choice as a medicine cat. But instead he saw her with hard eyes and her fur groomed neatly.

"Get up out of my nest!" She hissed and he made a confused face

. Last night she hadn't seemed to mind his comforting! But instead he climbed out stiffly, his wound making moving painful. He flopped down into his nest just as Silensteam entered the den. Flarestrike turned to look outside the lichen as she came in and left it swishing. It was dawn. The pretty silver she-cat came and sat beside her son, sadness pricking her gaze.

"How is he?"

She asked, looking at Cloverspirit, who came over to him and began removing the bandages. Silentstream's mouth gaped in a silent wail of surprise. Sharp-paw's eyes flickered open and he saw his mom staring at him with _that_ look on her face. He leaped up, shooting Flarestrike a desperate look. The gouges that ran from his brow to his jaw made him flinch.

"What's wrong with me?" He demanded in a high pitch yowl.

"Nothing sweetie, you look perfect." Silentstream mewed, taking a step towards him.

"No. I saw the way you were looking at me! The dogs ripped half of my face off! I'm... I'm... hideous!"

He screeched, and shot out into the middle of the camp. There he froze. Most of the clan was coming out of their dens and they all froze. Every single one of them except for Cinderstar, who continued walking until she could slide into Cloverspirit's den, stopped and stared. Crowtalon bounded forwards and began licking at the wounds. Sharp-paw whimpered and crouched down.

Brightdream had emerged and was growling angrily, "Well, get along with your duties mouse-brains!"

Rayshine appeared next to her and brushed himself against her. She smiled back. Flarestrike shrank back into the den and crouched in his nest, listening to Cinderstar's and Cloverspirit's conversation.

"How is he doing?" She was asking.

"Excellent. He will need to stay in my den for a while, though. The wounds will eventually heal, but he will be scarred for the rest of his life." 

Cinderstar sighed, looking at Flarestrike. "And him?"

Flarestrike opened his mouth; "I'm fine-"

Cloverspirit flicked her tail irritably. "He'll heal quickly." She said.

Cinderstar nodded, coming over to him. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, his toes twitching.

"Don't get under her paws understand? I won't stop her from giving you a good cuff on the ears."

And she licked his ear and turned around, heading back outside. Rayshine trotted in, along with Brightdream. Her eyes went to Flarestrike for a moment, then instantly back to her sister.

"Rayshine needs his bandage changed." She told her sister.

"Then Rayshine could've come to me himself."

Said Cloverspirit as he watched from the sidelines as she began tending to Rayshine. Sharp-paw came walking in with heavy paws back into the den and he flopped down beside Flarestrike and pressed his fur against his mentor's. He let out little sobbing noises but was quick to conceal them. Rayshine and Brightdream didn't try to hide their crush as they twined their tails and trotted out of the den. He curled his lip.

_At least Cloverspirit isn't as moody or else I'd be in Starclan by now. _As he was thinking about her the white she-cat turned her attention to Flarestrike.

"Ah, I have to change your cobwebs now."

And she turned to the large pile of them in a corner of her den and wraps a few around her tail. She sat down and made him lay on his back. He squirmed a little, uncomfortable at the position. She put something on his wound and then made him stand and weaved cobwebs around him.

"You opened it a little last night when you stood but it's not severe."

"Why is she doing this?" Flarestrike suddenly burst out.

Cloverspirit pricked her ears, then swiveled them.

"Brightdream." He shook out her name, "_Why _is she doing this to me."

The obvious affection she displayed in front of him wasn't them being playful.

"Well, as a medicine cat I would have to say she probably wants to tell you that just because you saved us doesn't give you the heroin act of getting the girl."

Flarestrike strained to control himself, shoving Brightdream out of his mind. Instead, he replaced it with a picture of Cloverspirit, with her plain white fur now illuminated by the moonlight and not so plain anymore. Her green eyes glittered as she approached him...

"Flarestrike! What are you doing?"

He opened his eyes to find himself reaching his nose towards hers, his paws stretched and claws lightly pricking hers.

"Oh... sorry. I had a moment." Cloverspirit moved around him and walked out of the den.

He went to follow her but she turned and looked over her shoulder.

"Stay." She commanded.

Flarestrike sighed and went back to his nest and lay down in it, huffing. He didn't understand it. _How do I feel about Cloverspirit? After our talk I feel... strange._ And he closed his eyes and listened to Sharp-paw's quick breaths until he somehow drifted back into sleep.

**Flarestrike, that feeling is called butterflies! You like her, just admit it! =0 R&R! But if you don't, I don't care, I'll pull down your underwear. Joking. Maybe. **


	8. Finally!

**Awh, we get to read Sharp-paw getting his warrior name. It's kinda hard to get a unique name with Sharp in front of it, so I used an already used name. Enjoy!  
**  
Flarestrike was chasing Cloverspirit through a field full of butterflies, she was giggling at his desperation.

"What can I give you?" His voice echoed as if he was boxed in.

She turned, smiling at him kindly as if he was a patient with a thorn in his pad. Then her nose twitched and her ears flicked, and she looked over her shoulder. A grey tabby tom with golden eyes was racing at them, his teeth bared in anger. He leaped over Cloverspirit and bowled him over, hissing. Then he lunged for his throat.

"No!"

Yowled Flarestrike, stretching a paw out for Cloverspirit. And then suddenly all the butterflies floated away in a wave of orange. Firestrike jerked awake, panting. Not much time had passed, and Sharp-paw was still sleeping soundly beside him. The only thing that had changed was the fact that Cloverspirit was inches away from his face.

"Are you okay?" She asked. "You were meowing... a lot. And you unsheathed your claws in your sleep. Nightmare?"

He nodded, "Hum... yeah."

She blinked and turned to gaze outside, the sun reflecting off her eyes. Firestrike stood up, ignoring the stiffness in his stomach and stared out the entrance also. His sisters, Embersky and Dawnblaze were trotting out of camp chattering eagerly while Redfire was meowing with Cinderstar. Flarestrike pricked his ears with interest and Cloverspirit turned her head to look at him.

"They're talking about you." She said, sighing.

"How can you hear?" He asked curiously.

She turned her head, "I can read lips. It kinda comes in handy when Starclan cats are talking to you but you can't hear anything."

Flarestrike whispered to her, "What are they saying?"

Cloverspirit flashed him a glance before she pricked her ears and began mewing, "Redfire is saying that Crowtalon will rip you to shreds if you step inside of that den. You need to do something about him. Cinderstar sounds mad, my warriors should be mature enough not to fight among themselves. Your father is arguing... he said... that you aren't the most mature cat around."

Flarestrike sniffed, "I put a stinkbug in his nest one time because he made me clean out the entire elders den and I'm labeled immature!"

Flicking his tail, he saw Redfire and Cinderstar's conversation halt as Crowtalon entered the camp, he had been hunting with Silentstream and they were carrying three squirrels with them.

"Hey Cloverspirit, can I go get my own fresh-kill now? I feel like a kittypet lazing around here."

He was famished and those squirrels smelled delectable.

"Sure."

The white she-cat muttered distractedly, her eyes trained behind her and at Sharp-paw.  
As Flarestrike slipped out of the den Cloverspirit followed him, then grabbed his tail with her own and tugged on it.

"Wait, come with me."

Sighing and hoping nobody snatched those squirrels before him he turned and followed her to where Cinderstar was sharing tongues with her deputy, Whiteleaf.

She addressed her leader with a dip of her head, and then started mewing, "Cinderstar, I think Sharp-paw should be made a warrior, I might not be his mentor but I was watching the battle the whole time. He fought excellent and even though his mentor is a dope, I think he is ready. Plus, I think it would help lift his spirits a bit."

Flarestrike's ears came to attention; his first apprentice was going to be made a warrior!

"I see, Flarestrike, is he ready?" He nodded, his yellow eyes sparking with excitement.

The blue-gray cat looked at her deputy, "Can you go and tell Crowtalon and Silentstream for me? I know they'll be happy."

Flarestrike's shoulders drooped when he saw her give him that look. The look that said, _I'm about to tell you to do something. _He had learned it as her apprentice when she gave him assignments; ears pricked, tail curled slightly and twitching, eyes unreadable. Her serious, leader look.

"Flarestrike, go and wake Sharp-paw up and convince him to come into the camp. Tell him Ashfall just brought in a blue squirrel."

Cinderstar climbed behind the pile of rocks at the edge of the camp she used as her den and hid herself. Cloverspirit turned towards her father and deputy and started meowing about the sun-high patrols. He shook his head at her, making her smile. Flarestrike turned towards the medicine cat den and painfully trotted into it, seeing Sharp-paw was already roused and was trying to lick his pelt clean. A master of faking things, Flarestrike quickly made his expression one of excitement.

"Sharp-paw! Guess what! Ashfall just brought in a blue squirrel! Come and see!"

Sharp-paw trailed his tongue over a scratch near his mouth.

"What? Really?" He mewed, tail flicking with excitement.

Flarestrike nodded, backing out of the den and trotting towards the fresh-kill pile importantly. He glimpsed Cinderstar's blue-grey head poking over her den. Sharp-paw brushed up beside Flarestrike, making him jump. Then he reminded himself, it was Sharp-paw's face that was hurt, not his paws.

"Well, where is it?" He searched the pile, and then faltered.

"What is thi-"

Cinderstar leapt onto her den, something she only did for important occasions such as naming warriors, and let out a mighty yowl.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath my den for a clan meeting!"

Sharp-paw's face turned from confusion to excitement again. "No, it can't be..."

He said, and Silentstream ran over and began grooming some fur on the top of his head, fussing over her only kit. Flarestrike stepped away, feeling like he was intruding. Finally, once Silentstream had her fill of motherly-love, she nudged Sharp-paw towards the center of attention and took a seat towards the front. Flarestrike sat near Cloverspirit because she was far from Rayshine, Brightdream, and Crowtalon.

"Today we celebrate an important event, naming new warriors. Even though he is only one, he fights with the spirit of the whole of Lionclan! Acting of their own accord, Flarestrike and Sharp-paw saved what could've been the lives of two of our warriors as well as our medicine cat."

Even though she had already confirmed this with him, Cinderstar acted out of tradition and asked him the two questions every mentor hoped to say 'they do' to.

"Flarestrike, has your apprentice, Sharp-paw, learned the skills he needs to be a warrior?"

His pelt tingled and he felt Sharp-paw's gaze on him as he breathed, "He has."

His leader continued, "And does he understand the meaning of the warrior code?" Finally.

"He does."

Cinderstar descended down the rocks gracefully and stood in front of the mauled Sharp-paw.

"I, Cinderstar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has trained hard in the ways of your noble code and I commend him to you as a warrior in your turn. Sharp-paw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Flarestrike could see Sharp-paw shiver, and he snorted. _He already has defended this clan well._ He flashed a glance in Rayshine and Brightdream's direction, nearly catching the golden tom's eye.

"I do." The young black tom's voice interrupted Flarestrike's jealousy.

"Then by the powers of Starclan I give you your warrior name. Sharp-paw, from this moment on you will be known as Sharpclaw. Starclan honors your bravery and valiant spirit and welcomes you as full member of Amberclan."

And with that Cinderstar lay her head on Sharpclaw's and he licked her shoulder and he stepped away as his name rang around the camp.

**Sharpclaw! Sharpclaw! I lurv him, even though I have it planned for him to have a villianous role in the sequel. But, the characters definately write the stories for me, so who knows? R&R! =D**


	9. Caramel & Mars

**In this chapter you get to meet Caramel and Mars, the sisters(because I seem to unconciously having a lot of those.) Yeah, these guys look like Squirrelflight and Leafpool but their characters were actually spurred by a picture of adorable kittens on !**

Sharpclaw turned his head towards Flarestrike, his eyes shining because Flarestrike was yowling as loudly as his throat would allow him.

"Sharpclaw! Sharpclaw!" However, Flarestrike couldn't help but cringe at the name.

It was such a strong sounding name, he wondered if the actual cat holding it would be able to live up to the meaning.

"Intruders!" Jayheart's cry went up into the air and the celebration halted.

Standing at the entrance to the camp were two young she-cats, their eyes stretched wide. One was a light ginger with dark amber eyes and the other was a brown with black tabby along with green eyes. Their ribs were showing, though they smelled of fresh-kill.

"Hello there."

Cinderstar greeted them warmly, even though most of the clan was hissing with hostility. Flarestrike had to stifle a _mrrow_ of laughter because Sharpclaw was looking at them interestedly, his ears pricked.

"Uh..."

The ginger cat looked around, and then ducked behind her sister, staring at them from between her legs.

"H-hello. We smelled cats and... Well we were abandoned by our housefolk and... We're lost."

Cinderstar sniffed the air, "Kittypets? Have you eaten recently?"

The ginger one stood up, nodding. "I caught us two mice!"

She announced proudly, and then shrank back as her sister turned to glare at her.

"Would you like to join us?"

Cinderstar asked casually, and a few of the warriors hissed, but most knew the clan needed more warriors, and she-cats. With no kits or apprentices, the clan would collapse eventually.

"To eat? Sure, I'd love another-"

The brown tabby began, but Whiteleaf cut her off, "No. Join the clan."

The sister's exchanged glances. "What's a clan?"

They asked in unison. Cinderstar beckoned them and her deputy and all four padded into her den. One they had disappeared, the clan burst into exciting whispers.

"Kittypets!" Lostfur scoffed from the elder's den.

"Did you hear that? Two new apprentices and pretty ones at that."

Sharpclaw turned to him and purred. They were the only toms in the clan that didn't have mates, or had, in Jayheart's case. Sharpclaw continued, waving his tail about wildly.

"I don't know..." Flarestrike murmured uncertainly, "They seem a bit too young for me..."

The black tom snorted, "Awh, just because you can't have Brightdream you give up? You're a tomcat!"

And he turned around and waggled his hind-quarters in Flarestrike's face.

"Oh-oh, thanks a lot!"

Smacking him on the hip with a claw-sheathed paw, he bounded out of the way for the next attack as Sharpclaw whirled, hissing with fake-anger.

"Oof!" The ginger tom bumped into something as he back-stepped.

"Oh, mouse-dung!" Cloverspirit growled, looking at him with a frown.

"Is that mouse-bile? Where are you taking that disgusting stuff?"

Flarestrike said, picking up the bundle wrapped in strands of grass and giving it back to her.

"The elders den then to see Ashfall. She says she inherited a tick cleaning out bedding the other day."

Ashfall and her brother Rayshine both has luxurious long fur they inherited from their dead mother Goldenheart, a queen who died during the very beginning of the Great Move, when fire tore through their whole forest. Flarestrike hadn't known her, but Jayheart spoke very fondly of her. Ashfall had never made her presence very well known in the clan besides for her excellent hunting skills and taste for varied foods.

She always seemed to duck into hiding when Flarestrike was around. Gazing around, he caught sight of Rayshine and Brightdream and seethed. Those crow-food faces!

"Why are you looking at my brother that way?"

A voice said behind him and he whirled to face Ashfall, her orange eyes wide with concern. He didn't know if it was for Rayshine or himself.

"No reason." He lied smoothly, and she almost looked like she believed him. Almost.

"Flarestrike, the clan isn't blind. We know you like Brightdream very, very much. And the fact that she and Rayshine have been more than friendly is also a known."

So, Ashfall was an observer. Maybe that's what she doing all those times he'd slipped and failed to notice her!

"Your point is?"

Flarestrike mewed, feeling dejected that he had to hear the truth falling from a clanmate's mouth. Brightdream wasn't his. But, the strange feelings around Cloverspirit were starting to grow. Was he falling for her sister?

"Flarestrike?"

A fluffy grey tail waved in front of his face. "You keep cluing out? I understand if you have a lot on your mind."

The tail traced along his chin and she tipped her head, eyes soft. His toes tingled as she trotted away towards a certain spot along the camp wall and sniffed around before disappearing into it. A moment later she came back with stuff clamped in her jaws.

Dropping the little red and purple berries by the fresh-kill pile, she picked out a squirrel and began stuffing them into it. Her father walked by and said something about it, making her smile. Sharpclaw bumped into him.

"Oof. Sorry. They're going to join the clan!" He nearly squealed like a kit.

Just having his ceremony a few sun-twitches ago certainly didn't make him nobler, especially around pretty she-cats. Cinderstar climbed back onto her rocky pile that made up her den as Whiteleaf padded out of it followed by the two sisters.

"Today, it seems, Starclan has sent a blessing of two new apprentices and a warrior. Clan, I would like to introduce Mars and Caramel."

As each of their names was said, they dipped their heads.

"Amberclan will be accepting them as full members of our family. Mars, will you please step forwards?"

The pretty brown tabby did so with her head raised, her eyes gleaming with an insatiable curiosity.

"From this day forward until you earn your warrior name you shall be known as Northpaw. Your mentor will be Embersky; I hope that she will pass down her fiery spirit and passion to you."

Flarestrike's feisty sister looked shocked for a moment, then unbearably happy. She practically hopped forwards to press her nose to Northpaw's. What a curious name. The ancient Shadowclan had their hearts chilled by the cold north winds, but surely this innocent apprentice was nothing like those evil cats.

"Caramel, with you please step forwards please."

The shy ginger she-cat trotted forwards until she could look at Cinderstar her tail flicking uneasily.

"From this day forward until you earn your warriors name you shall be known as Lightpaw. Your mentor will be Dawnblaze, I hope that she will pass down her knowledge and attentiveness to you."

His other sister raised her dark red head and her eyes sparked with excitement as she padded up to Lightpaw and they tapped their pink noses together.

"Lightpaw! Northpaw! Lightpaw! Northpaw!"

Sharpclaw howled, and the rest of the clan joined together. Flarestrike smiled at his cheeky once-apprentice, and then caught sight of his scarred face. As he trotted over to congratulate them, Lightpaw squeaked in alarm and Northpaw had to comfort her sister, seeming not bothered by it. But, Lightpaw's reaction had done enough.

With an expression of pure disgust, he shot Flarestrike a desperate glance before he whirled into the warrior's den. Northpaw left her sister and went up to Embersky and berated her with questions. Lightpaw did the same, only more quietly. A white tail flicked his nose and he twitched away the sneeze and looked over at the sparkling green eyes that met his. For a moment, he was stunned by them, and then he seemed to catch on.

"Hel-lo? Are you in Flarestrike world today? Ashfall said you had been acting weird. Go and fetch Sharpclaw. Warrior or not, you both still need a final check-over."

The white she-cat mewed, her white fur flowing delicately in the wind, as if he touched her she would melt away.

"Roger that." He said and turned towards the warrior's den.

A ball of moss hit him on the nose as he stood at the entrance.

"Silly warriors! You think they would know better!"

His sister's voice drifted through the air, followed by the sound of purring. Sitting inside and throwing dirty nests outside was Northpaw, Embersky, and Sharpclaw.

"I'm just glad I have such a hygienic she-cat come and clean out the dens as I become a warrior."

Flarestrike peered in and lashed his tail as he was hit by another wad. It covered the top of his head and he shook it off and flung it back. It landed on one of Northpaw's sensory hairs and her pelt twitched oddly before she turned to look at it. Her green eyes met Flarestrike's and she giggled.

"Oops." Embersky glanced up to look back at her brother, grey eyes amused.

"What do you want?"

She said, sitting it and licking a piece of moss out from between her toes.

"Sharpclaw. Cloverspirit said-"

But, the black cat had already leaped to his paws, "Again? Why can't she just leave me be?"

He licked at a scratch near his lips, "I'm fine!"

Northpaw looked at him interestedly, then back to a surprised Flarestrike.

"I-I'm sorry... but she said that she had to check your wounds. A final one-over."

The light ginger tom lashed his tail a bit, not used to such outbursts or refusals from his former-apprentice. Sharpclaw lowered his head, obviously not used to that either.

"Okay. A final one-over."

And the scarred black tom trotted out of the den, looking around at the business of the camp. Sunflower, Brightdream and Cloverspirit's mother padded towards the warrior's den and looked in curiously before she was thumped on the head by a large ball of moss. He snorted, never really liking the splotched queen. Crowtalon and Silentstream were trotting out of camp and Flarestrike gave them a quick glance, the air strong with the smell of Silentstream's oestrus.

"Looks like you might have siblings soon." Flarestrike mewed appreciatively.

With the arrival of Northpaw and Lightpaw, and with Crowtalon and Silentstream still eager to have more litters, there might just be hope for Amberclan after all. Lostfur growled as she lay outside of the elder's den, her mangy tail flicking back and forth. She wasn't crabby when she had her medicine, but with the recent events Cloverspirit had been skipping out. As Sharpclaw continued on the medicine cat's den, Flarestrike veered to see what was wrong.

"Hello Lostfur." He purred pleasantly at her, though she obviously had no intention of being pleasant back.

"Well, well, a big strong warrior like you is going to give me my medicine? Why don't you send one of those little kittens over here to do it?"

Flarestrike flicked his ear towards the warrior's den, where Northpaw was. He had picked up the sarcasm in her voice, but was barely stung.

"You might rake them with your tongue." The light ginger tom said, grinning.

"Just go get me my medicine!"

She hissed, and then rubbed at a flea that managed to survive on the few tufts of fur she had. So, Flarestrike swung around and padded towards the den, hearing Sharpclaw's squeaks.

"Ouch! That hurts!"

And Cloverspirit's frustrated meows:

"Stay still! Oh great, you've just stepped in the herbs I'd set out for Flarestrike!"

And so the light ginger tom walked into the den to calm to situation and get his own medicine as long as Sharpclaw didn't step on him first.

**Sun-twitches = minutes. They will be referenced to I think maybe one more time. All the cats in this story can get very close to their mentors, ex. Cinderstar & Flarestrike, Cloverspirit & Shadownight(meet him l8er), Sharpclaw & Flarestrike. Yup. R&R. I will be dishing out quite a few chapters tonight, so be prepared. :P**


	10. A Forest of Wonders

**This is very much a climax chapter, where Flarestrike and Cloverspirit finally 'hook up' I suppose you could say. This is the chapter where the T in my rating comes from. **

Lightpaw trudged back into the camp looking tired with Dawnblaze padding beside her, tail rose in happiness. Silentstream and Crowtalon returned also, looking pleased. Cinderstar bustled towards Dawnblaze and then she went up to Embersky, who was walking in too with Northpaw holding moss with her mouth and chin. As the brown tabby yawned, it slipped and she hissed and picked it back up.

They disappeared towards the warriors den. Sharpclaw slipped away from questioning his mother to help Northpaw and Whiteleaf splayed himself next to Cinderstar as they ate fresh-kill together. Sunflower paced outside of the warrior's den, yawning occasionally. Ferndream was grooming with Redfire at her side and they exchanged a lick every few strokes on their own fur. Ashfall was also cleaning her fur a little ways off from where Rayshine and Brightdream were also sharing tongues.

Jayheart, looking awkward at first, looked at his two children and then joined Sunflower in pestering the new apprentice and warrior to hurry finishing the den so that they could sleep. Flarestrike was lying outside of the medicine cat's den, licking away at a blue jay's feathers. He hated those. Pushing his thoughts of asking Embersky to put burrs in Rayshine's nest slipped away as the elegant white she-cat came from her den, fur shimmering in the moonlight.

His attraction to Cloverspirit had reached its tip-top point, and he could hardly hold himself from pinning her down and running his head from her soft chest fur, breathing in her herby scent all the while gazing into her lovely green eyes.

"Flarestrike, why are you staring at me? Do I have some leaves stuck in my fur?"

She had picked out a mouse and was pricking her ears at him.

"Hum..." He wasn't about to admit he had somehow fallen in love with her.

Maybe it was because after their talk he felt some strange connection with her. A connection she didn't even dared to have with her sister or even Starclan themselves.

"I would like to show you something after you've eaten that mouse."

It had burst out before he could think about it, but his brain was boiling.

"O-kay." She agreed before bringing the mouse back towards her den.

Chomping down onto the bird, he could hardly wait. He would bring her to the underground cavern he had found. One that hooked to the Starclan tunnel that shimmered with glowing moss and crystals.

Cloverspirit emerged faster than expected and he tried to ignore the fact that he saw her green eyes spark with a small amount of excitement.

"Okay, what is it Flarestrike?" She asked and he sprang to his paws, making her jump.

"I found a place nobody else knows about!"

The white cat tipped her head, and he realized that he had to act like he wasn't trying to be romantic.

"It's hooked to the Starclan tunnel. I think it might be of spiritual use to you."

She nodded like that solved everything. Flarestrike turned and charged out of the tunnel and into the forest. Cloverspirit followed and the two cats ran along the forest, their pelts brushing occasionally. Flarestrike stood at the edge of the tunnel, well hidden along the stream with cat-tails bobbing along the shore and hiding it.

"I fell in when I was just an apprentice and Cinderstar ordered me to find squirrel-rats."

He pushed some of the cat-tails away, staring in. The eerie glow hadn't died down and he smiled.

"Squirrel-rats? What are those?"

Flarestrike laughed, "There isn't such a thing. Truth is, she wanted to spend some time on the hot-rocks and didn't want me to be bored."

And he slipped down into the tunnel, feeling pressed in at first. But he knew it got better, and he felt Cloverspirit's breath on his tail. She had probably been to the Mooncave before, and she didn't protest. Finally, it opened up into the cavern, glowing brightly. Even more was the reflection down the tunnels from the moonflower.

"Wow, this place is amazing." Cloverspirit looked around, eyes wide.

Flarestrike purred, tasting the air. Wait... was Cloverspirit also having her oestrus? He sniffed deeply, sure, it was there. And being in a cave, it trapped the smells. Shifting his hind legs, he looked around and then began picking at a glowing stone until it fell from the dirt wall with a clatter. Cloverspirit turned at the sound and he picked it up and placed it in front of her.

She smiled, "This would look great in my den!"

She said, referring to the fact her den also had feathers strung all around it. A glowing rock would surely help the appeal. Her scent was driving him mad and he tried to look for something to distract himself with. So, he clawed off some of the glowing moss and stuck it on her head.

"Hey!" She growled, shaking it off and throwing it back.

Flarestrike growled, and then he lunged forwards, bringing the moss with him in one of his claws.

Sticking it into her face he pinned her down, "Gotcha!"

She sneezed and then fell quiet. The light ginger tom remained still too until he realized what position they were in. Her tail flicked against one of his back legs as he shuffled his front paws.

"Who says you can't have this part of life?"

He murmured into her ear, and she looked towards him with a scared green eye. It was obvious this was her first time, even if this was his too. He was a tom, afterall.

"Flarestrike... we're so close to Starclan... how could we..."

But, this wasn't a time he was about to change his mind. He lapped at her ear, not caring if they were about to do something so forbidden so close to Starclan.

This was all for Cloverspirit.

**Oestrus = A period when a she-cat becomes receptive to toms' advances and is able to reproduce. Also called being in heat. One of Cloverspirit's original quirps was that her den was extravagantly decorated with feathers. I lost the original of this story when my computer crashed and never bothered to add it back. :[ Anyway, finally, Flarestrike and Cloverspirit are together. =3 **


	11. Frozen Still

**In this chapter we meet Blazepaw, Cloverspirit and Brightdream's brother. He is very attached to both of his sisters, and worries about them constantly.  
**  
Flarestrike woke up beside Cloverspirit; she was snoring lightly with her paw over her muzzle. Occasionally she would whimper and twitch, worrying him, but he was also thinking about their night together. Slipping outside, he found some strong smelling garlic and rolled in it, sneezing. Cloverspirit emerged, her eyes widened.

"Flarestrike!" She cried, leaping forwards and pressing her muzzle into his chest.

"I had a horrible dream!" The white cat shuddered, and looked up at him.

"What was it?" He asked kindly, trying to ignore the horrible stench of the garlic.

He felt changed after last night, more mature, more of a tom and less of Flarestrike, the silly warrior who spent his days putting burrs in his clan mates nests. She shook her head, regaining her composure. Then she gazed around, stepping away from him.

"You stink." She said, wrinkling her pink nose.

"Yeah." He murmured, "You'd better find something to roll in too. Maybe some herbs?"

Cloverspirit looked around for a moment more before her tail curled up and she looked at Flarestrike, something flickering between her green depths of eyes.

"Thank you for last night... it made me feel like I wasn't just some medicine cat."

And with that she pounded away, leaving him standing there smelling like wild garlic.

"Flarestrike!"

A voice yelled loudly, and a black tom came through the bushes. His dark blue eyes sparkled as he looked at his former mentor.

"Scare all the prey away, will you?"

He trotted forwards, his scarred side of his face lifted in a smile.

"Why are you standing in garlic? I have to share a den with you now, ya'know."

Flarestrike leaped away from the garlic, his ears flattening.

"I-I have to tell you something..."

He murmured and Sharpclaw looked up at him, his expression of that when he had first been a kitten, getting his mentor named. Expectant and excited.

"I mated with Cloverspirit."

It all fell.

"You did WHAT!" He yowled, and a few birds flew away squawking raucously.

"Flarestrike... that is about the most forbidden and frowned upon thing in the whole warrior code! That's what destroyed the clan, the birth of a medicine cat's three kits!"

The light ginger tom stepped away, "Kits... who said anything about kits?"

Sharpclaw frowned, staring around like he expected somebody to come up behind him and claw his ears off.

"She-cats only want to mate with toms when they can have kits. You know, when they're in their heats... it's very likely she could be-"

Flarestrike opened his mouth wide, his fangs gleaming.

"She isn't pregnant!"

He spat, turning around and shooting through the forest. The smell of wild garlic followed him the whole way.

Rolling around in a patch of catmint was Cloverspirit, also facing her own denial. If she was pregnant, it would spell disaster. Amberclan was young, and to lose its only medicine cat would drop its status into all new lows. _I am positive I'm pregnant... my dream... my dream... _

She replayed it in her mind:

_A place she hadn't been since she was a young and curious kit surrounded her, the former camp's nursery. She could see three kits playing together. A white she-kit, a tortoiseshell she-kit and a grey tabby tom. _

_"_You can be Jayfeather!_" Crowed Brightkit at their brother, Blazekit. _

_He turned his golden, almost bronze eyes on her. _

_"_Why? I always have to be Jayfeather!_" _

_Cloverkit, herself, looked around as if she were bored by this game. Cloverspirit could remember it very clearly, they constantly played it, with Blazekit making spooky but fake predictions and pretending he could read their thoughts. Cloverkit, always forced to be the other tom would bat her littermates around and pretend she was invincible and Brightkit would prick her ears and act very alert, then say something random, like: _

"Ferndream just made rain for the tenth time today!"

_Cloverkit scooted towards the medicine cat den and she followed her as if in a trance. Cinderstar didn't even notice her as she walked straight through her. _

"Shadownight, what are you doing?"

_She asked a black tom as he trotted past her kit self, a bundle of leaves in his jaws._

"I'm taking borage to Goldenheart." _He answered. _

"Wow, it must be so great to be able to take care of all the cats in the clan!"

_Shadownight nodded, and as he approached the nursery Brightkit scurried over, bouncing a little. _

"Yeah so great!"

_She meowed and Shadownight mumbled around his herbs, _"It takes a bunch of commitment though." _B_

_rightkit and Cloverkit both yowled, _"I'll be committed!"

_Blazekit suddenly looked towards them and Cloverspirit remembered with a pain that her brother hadn't lived to see his second moon of apprenticeship. And as she watched he grew to apprentice size, his eyes much, much older. _

"Did Shadownight make the right choice, Cloverspirit?"

_Everything else melted away, just leaving them standing in nothingness. Stars bloomed in his pelt and he glared over her shoulder even though nothing was there. _

"Of course he did!"

_She cried, but her dead brother stared at his paws, _"A medicine cat sacrifices _that_ part of life for her clan. Your selfishness will cost you dearly!"

_And with that everything disappeared, leaving her shaking and worried. _

What exactly would it cost her?

**Cloverspirit... Cloverspirit... oh noes! -dramatic pause- What'll it cost her? I don't know yet, because in A Father's Love, I'm only on chapter two. :]**


	12. Plans

**And in this here chappie we find Flarestrike and Cloverspirit makin' some plans for their younguns. Turns out Brightdream has her own secret! =0 Talk about poor Flarestrike!  
**  
Cloverspirit walked into the camp, her mouth full of catmint. Resisting the urge to eat some, she quickly disappeared into her den and dropped the catmint in her special place. Any kits or the two new apprentices would surely be tempted to try some.

"Cloverspirit?"

She ignored the voice; if Blazepaw was here to suck her down into another memory, well... her brother would just have to-

"Cloverspirit!"  
Brightdream was standing at the entrance of the den, her fur fluffed up with annoyance.

"Geez, between you and Flarestrike I'm going to go permanently dog-brained!"

Her tail flicked and she quieted down, slowly stepping towards her sister. Cloverspirit's heartbeat quickened. Was it obvious? Did she not cover her scent well enough? Oh no! But, as her sister opened her mouth to speak the exact opposite came out:

"I'm pregnant!"

Cloverspirit's anxiety for herself was replaced with happiness for her sister.

"Really? That's great! Whose are they?"

Her tortoiseshell sister waved her tail, grinning sheepishly.

"Rayshine's. I'm at least fourteen sunrises."

So, her sister had definitely been having something with the golden tabby tom in the shadows. Then it hit her and she suddenly felt the impulse to tell her sister the same thing. Her throat felt like it was going to explode with her secret. Brightdream bounced towards her, touching their noses.

"I'm going to be a mother! Doesn't it make you wonder, being a medicine cat and all, how it would feel to have something made from your essence then nurture it in your own body and then take care of it, teach it?"

Cloverspirit forced herself to shake her head, her legs trembling. _Yes yes!_ She willed her own tongue to hold itself.

"Oh..." Brightdream looked saddened, as if she had a lot more to say on the matter.

"I'm going to go tell Rayshine the good news!" And she bounced away.

Soon, it would be all over the camp on how her sister was pregnant, and new kits would be arriving into world in two moons or so. Plans had to be made, because there was nothing in her mind that she had been so sure about. She was pregnant right now.

With Flarestrike's kits. Flarestrike. How would he feel? It was only a pity-mate, and now he would have to take the responsibility for their kits. It wasn't love... it wasn't planned... it was just... what? At that moment, the light ginger tom walked in, his face grim. His head turned to look at her den. Their eyes met and a thousand words bubbled to their lips.

Flarestrike tipped his head quizzically, turned around and meowed loudly, "Well geez, I'm coming!"

And disappeared back into the tunnel. A very old trick. She turned towards the dirt place tunnel and flitted through it, shaking herself free of the stinkiness.

Flarestrike met Cloverspirit near the Split Tree and they climbed into the hole there and slid down into the bottom. They sat close, but not close enough to where they were touching.

"I saw Sharpclaw." Was the first thing out of his mouth.

Would his former apprentice tell on him?

"I saw Brighdream." She said, her eyes watching him carefully.

"And?" They both said at the same time.

Cloverspirit went first, and she took a deep breath.

"My sister is pregnant-" His ears flattened and his shoulders slumped a little, "-too."

At this he shoved himself against the tree wall, "No... Sharpclaw warned me of this... I didn't think... how-"

He began to hyperventilate and Cloverspirit ran her tail down his side.

"The dream. My brother told me." Flarestrike sighed, his muzzle twitching.

"I told Sharpclaw. He warned me you could get pregnant. He said it was forbidden."

She nodded matter-of-factly. "Yeah."

An awkward silence stretched as each of them ran through their own thoughts.

"This was how the clans fell. A medicine cat became pregnant and enfolded her kits in lies. She gave them to her sister, because her sister was born kitless."

Cloverspirit mewed as if in a trance.

"Brightdream is pregnant. I can't give them to her... not now. Not now that I've broken the most sacred law in Starclan. If she had become a medicine cat she wouldn't have gone out and gotten... she would be thankful she could travel in a different path than a warrior cat. She-"

The ginger tail flicked across her mouth and she stifled a heave of breath.

"Stop dwelling. It's dead and done."

Her green orbs looked into his, "What happened to you, Flarestrike? You don't usually paw out quotes."

He shrugged, and then he looked up and out of the hole, his tail flicking.

"What are we going to do? These are my kits too. I'm responsible for them..."

But her surprised expression stopped him.

"You really want to claim these kits?"

Flarestrike frowned, "It's not so simple. I don't want our kits living a terrible life because of something their parents did. We need a cover story."

Cloverspirit already had an idea.

"Ashfall seems pretty interested in you. Full moon is tonight."

He knew what she was implying. "What- why!'"

The white she-cat fluffed out her fur, "A cover story. We could give her the kits. We could find something. Having a Starclan medicine cat, you really learn some exotic herbs. Like the one Leafpool used to stop her milk from coming in. I know that one."

Flarestrike nodded his eyes half-closed.

"I am going to try and convince Lightpaw to become my apprentice."

At this he opened them back, "Why?"

Cloverspirit sighed, "If I lose my position, I want Amberclan to be in good paws."

He shrugged, climbing out of the hole.

"If you insist. She's very timid though." Cloverspirit climbed up and out after him.

"I know that. That's why she's a good candidate. It'll help her blossom."

Flarestrike gave her a glance over his shoulder as he headed back towards camp. For a moment, his eyes looked at her belly. Some strange feelings ran over him, a need to protect Cloverspirit and the babies growing in her. A need so strong, he could only describe it with one sentence:

"I promise, I will do anything for these kits."

**You'll find in this chapter and the last one that both Cloverspirit and Flarestrike say things about their kits. This sentance plays a big role in the next story, A Father's Love. **


	13. Light At the End of the Tunnel

**Sorry the updates are a little late guys. I've been busy since my mom's boyfriend had been over all weekend and I got stung by a yellow jacket and my arm hurts like Starclan zapped me! Anyway, enjoy! :)  
**  
Cloverspirit felt oddly tired at sunhigh and trusting her clan mates to be careful of their paws and not step on any thorns she flopped down and napped. But, of course, her clan mates were about as clumsy as badgers.

"Cloverspirit!" Yowled a young voice. Northpaw.

As she struggled to wake up, the brown tabby came into the den more, her ears pricked. Embersky was right beside her, grey eyes taking everything in with an air of coolness.

"Lightpaw ran into some thorns. She was trying to chase a mouse and-"

The light ginger tabby stepped through, her sides raked with little scratches.

"Be quiet!" She hissed, and then she looked shyly at Cloverspirit.

"Can I have some stuff to stop the stinging?"

Northpaw gave her sister a gentle lick and then she turned around, looking up at Embersky with admiration in her eyes.

"So she's a medicine cat? How could she remember all..."

And her voice faded away as they walked off.

"My sister is such a chatter mouth!" Lightpaw muttered, looking outside.

"I have a sister."

Cloverspirit said as she fetched some marigold, and the little ginger tabby jumped.

"Brightdream? You two don't look that much alike. I heard she's pregnant. Going to have some little nieces and nephews running around aren't you?"

Everything she said bit her like frost.

"Yeah, I am."

And she plastered the apprentice's sides with the herb as she continued to talk about her sister.

"Our mom left when we were babies. Hunting-folk came and scooped her up. Northpaw decided we should leave and we came to the forest and smelled the cats. So we followed it and almost were eaten by these savage dogs! That stuff smells weird. What is it?"

Cloverspirit flicked her tail, remembering what she had said to Flarestrike.

"Marigold. This is what it looks like."

And she pushed the leaves towards the small apprentice.

"Oh!" And she gave the leaf a sniff.

"Do I have to sleep in here tonight?"

Cloverspirit shook her head, "Just be cautious of yourself! And no more hunting in brambles!"

With a nod, the ginger apprentice slipped away into the camp. Cloverspirit gave her paw a lick, gazing outside. As she was drawing it over her ear, she watched the going-ons. Fresh-kill was piled outside and nobody was allowed to eat yet. Cinderstar was sitting outside of her den and occasionally she would look up and greet a warrior or give orders.

Northpaw was laying between Sharpclaw and Embersky as they explained the full moon to her. Lightpaw was talking quietly with Dawnblaze along with Redfire, her father, being told the same things. Flarestrike came through the camp entrance, a pigeon in his jaws. Dropping it on the large pile, he looked towards Sharpclaw and his fur bristled out. For a minute the two toms stared at eachother, and then the light ginger tom gazed around the camp and found Ashfall.

She was lying beside her father and grooming his ears very gently. As Flarestrike came closer to her she looked up and only Cloverspirit caught the adoration in her eyes. Flarestrike obviously didn't because he started chatting normally with her. His nose kept twitching and Cloverspirit realized that most of the she-cats in the clan would be having their oestrus around this time.

A wave of jealousy hit her and she frowned, feeling love for their kits in her belly. That's when another thought hit her, a legend about a tom who faked a sign so that his sister would become medicine cat. She shivered, disgust rolling over her even stronger than the jealousy. As she looked over her shoulder she caught sight of the grey tabby tom, Blazepaw. Her dear dead brother. He shook his starry head, his eyes glittering bronze as he looked at her with shame in his eyes.

"I'm doing this for the clan!" She protested, and he disappeared with the breeze.

"Who are you talking to?"

Brightdream was standing at the entrance of the medicine cat den, her eyes wide. Rayshine stood beside her, tipping his head.

"I just had a sign." The lie came out before she had even developed her plan.

"A sign? About what?"

Cloverspirit lashed her tail, "None of your business!"

Looking taken aback, Brightdream dipped out of the den.

Rayshine frowned, then said, "Don't forget to help us carry some of the prey in about five sun-twitches."

She nodded and then slipped outside, heading towards Cinderstar. The young leader was looking bored anyway and as Cloverspirit approached her, she smiled. "Hello." She greeted nicely.

"Cinderstar, I just received a sign about Lightpaw."

Immediately, the blue-grey she-cat's eyes widened.

"Oh, well then, we need to discuss this right away."

And she jumped up into her rocky den and disappeared through the entrance. Cloverspirit followed, her paws itching with the huge lie she was about to tell. She didn't even know if Lightpaw had the potential to be medicine cat! What if the kitten didn't want to be a medicine cat?

Northpaw definitely didn't have the personality to be a medicine cat, just from the way she looked at Embersky you could tell she wanted to be a warrior. Cinderstar sat down in her sandy den, fixing her blue eyes on Cloverspirit.

"Tell me how you received this sign."

Her tail-tip twitched as the white-she cat began to mew, "It was just after I finished putting the herb on her scratches. I showed her what I had just used on her and as I did so a shaft of sunlight pierced through my den and onto her."

She looked at Cinderstar, trying to make her fur lie flat.

"And so the sign was that Lightpaw was destined for greatness?"

The blue-grey she-cat mewed. "No, she is destined to be my apprentice."

Cinderstar nodded as if mulling this over, and then she smiled.

"We will do it after the ceremony. Tonight, we celebrate."

**Yeah, so we see Cloverspirit and Flarestrike doing some pretty silly things. I mean, even Cloverspirit takes a step back and says, 'woah, what if...?' Lightpaw does make a pretty cool apprentice though, just sayin'. :3 She's another one of my fav. characters in A Father's Love, in this one she doesn't get a lot of writing time because its mainly in Flarestrike and Cloverspirit's POVs. R&R and thanks for the alerts! Those count too! **


	14. Full Moon Blues

**In this chapter Flarestrike begins the first part of their kinda ridicolous plan. :) Enjoy!  
**  
Flarestrike trotted beside Ashfall as they descended down into the full moon celebratory place. Lightpaw and Northpaw let out amazed gasps and looked around, their tails fluffed up with excitement. Of course, it was pretty cool looking. It sloped down towards a creek, and the dip was wide enough to fit the whole of Amberclan and two more clans if they wanted to.

The stars glittered off the water and a branch jutted out from the small drop-off on the other side. Super-sized leaves blocked off all view of the Moon Palace and Flarestrike pushed through with Ashfall at his side, and then Cinderstar and the rest of the clan.

"How cool!" Northpaw shrieked and her thrush plopped into the water.

"Anybody up for soggy bird?"

He meowed loudly and the brown tabby gave him a mischievous look. Her sister Lightpaw leaped forwards and tackled her and two fell down into the pebbles, showering them all over Lostfur. She gave a growl and they sped away, yowling. Cinderstar climbed up onto her stick and looked around. She looked maginifigant with her blue fur swaying in the wind and the moonlight making her fur gleam.

Like a Starclan warrior, only less transparent. Cloverspirit looked up at her expectantly, her tail twitching. Then she turned her head ever so slightly, catching his eyes with the corner of hers. They flicked between him and Ashfall and then her tail raised in greeting. Ashfall purred and blinked her eyes very slowly back.

"So here we are again, bringing two new apprentices to the Moon Palace. Tonight we celebrate another moon of life for Amberclan! We feast, then we romp, free of all troubles!"

Cinderstar leaped down and everybody grabbed a piece of prey and tore into it. Flarestrike shared a rabbit with Ashfall and she looked pretty dang happy eating fresh-kill with him. But, Cloverspirit still looked troubled, and that dampened his mood. She hung awkwardly around Brightdream, looking up into the sky a lot. Her muzzle was turned down into a frown he wished will all his heart he could wipe away with a flick of his tail.

By the time everybody had finished eating Lightpaw and Northpaw were still wrestling and now sopping wet from shoving one another into the creek. Cinderstar lay on the stick, her legs dangling down. Her head rested on it as she looked down upon her clan, happiness shining in her lovely blue eyes. Sharpclaw joined in with Northpaw and Lightpaw, pummeling the two she-cats with his experienced paws and they shrieked with femalish-joy.

Flarestrike was about to go and pounce on Embersky as she and Dawnblaze chattered endlessly when Ashfall's tail flicked his ear. She looked at him, her orange eyes intense. His heart did a flip and he breathed in her scent again, his mouth parted. Purring, she rubbed her chin against his and then she leaped away and up the drop-off. Flarestrike stood to follow her, his tail raised with happiness.

He couldn't resist a glance at Rayshine who had his muzzle wrinkled, disgust plain in his eyes. Brightdream had a slightly surprised expression and Flarestrike was about to give a smug grin when green eyes flashed brilliantly in a spot in his vision. Cloverspirit was watching him, a look he had never seen in a she-cat's eyes before.

Ashfall gave an anxious mew and he turned his gaze away, feeling guilty about both Ashfall and Cloverspirit. _I am doing this for Cloverspirit, but I'm also betraying Ashfall. I feel like such a terrible tom. _But he sneaked away with her anyway, deep into the bushes. Licking the top of her head, he only hoped she would understand when he told her he needed her to take Cloverspirit's kits.

His kits.

However, hope was all he could do as they purred in the bushes while a white she-cat lay burning in jealousy at the Moon Palace.

**Woo... this plan makes for a lot of trouble l8er. If only they hadn't had been so mousebrained and Cloverspirit... eh nevermind. R&R, I know it's short! Don't kill me :P Femalish-Joy- Flirtacious squeaks and giggles. **


	15. One Week Later

**And in this chapter we see their plan go terribly wrong. Well, it gets fixed, but still.  
**  
Ashfall was sleeping in the warrior's den next to Flarestrike. Her mate. Finally, after so much secret admiration and walking, he had noticed her. And mated with her! Her heart felt ready to burst at the thought. Sure, it had hurt, but it had all been worth it. Because she was pregnant with Flarestrike's kits. _Their_ kits! Just dreaming about their fluffy faces clambering over her in the nursery gave her happy mice-bumps. Shifting next to her brought her to slight consciousness.

She floated there until his weight fully moved away, leaving only a little bit of heat and scent. Her eyes opened groggily, she had the sunhigh patrol and she had planned on spending that time snoozing. It was about mid-way to sunhigh, so where was her mate going? She could see him disappearing into Cloverspirit's den and yawned. Maybe he had a belly-ache? That brought back memories of Lightpaw's re-naming ceremony. The white she-cat claimed that she'd had a sign that Lightpaw was to become her apprentice. Since it was Starclan's will, the ginger tabby could only accept.

But, Ashfall could remember the shock on the apprentice's face and the horror on Dawnblaze's as her first apprentice was ripped away from her. Worst of all was Northpaw's reaction as she hurled herself towards her sister.

"I thought we were going to be warriors together?"

Lightpaw frowned and tapped her nose against the brown tabby's, "That's okay. I can heal your wounds when you get into fights, I'll take care of you."

Northpaw had shivered and then they had disappeared out the clan entrance. Cloverspirit had watched sadly, and then glanced up at the sky, and then she had looked over her shoulder and nearly jumped out of her fur at something. For a moment she stood there, eyes wide and then she had whirled and disappeared into her den.

Ashfall stood and stretched, watching as Brightdream trotted across the camp, her stomach gently rounded, barely noticeable. Greenleaf approached and everybody was making sure they ate the bounty. She trotted over to the medicine cat den and poked her head in to quiet voices.

"Hullo?"

They stopped abruptly, then Cloverspirit's voice, "Come in."

Ashfall slipped in, looking curiously from Flarestrike to Brightdream. He had his paw held out and the white medicine cat gazed up.

"Thorn?" She asked, and Flarestrike nodded.

Cloverspirit licked his pad, giving her a cautious look. Ashfall froze, _what was all that about? _Flarestrike limped towards her, touching his nose gently to hers.

"Good morning." He mewed, purring.

Cloverspirit looked away and rummaged around in her herbs, and as they padded out of the den Ashfall noticed her looking at her with narrowed eyes. It made her fur prickle.

"Can I talk to you?" Her mate asked and she nodded as they padded out of camp.

Ashfall and Cloverspirit were already one week, Brightdream three, and it was very likely Silentstream was also one week. Amberclan was going to have new little warriors soon! Guiltily, he cast a glance at Ashfall as she trotted beside him. He had used her to make sure that his other kits had a safe future.

She really thought he loved her. But, not like he loved Cloverspirit. His promise held out on a few whiskers. If Ashfall refused, a very likely choice, what would they do? Cloverspirit would be banished from her clan, her family and all she had known when she was a kit. A tremor ran through him just thinking about her, stranded out there and trying to hunt with three kits toddling after her.

He could just guess there were three, Cloverspirit couldn't tell. Somehow, he would convince Ashfall of taking his kits! Climbing into the hollowed tree he and Cloverspirit had used he sank down to the bottom and watched as Ashfall settled down next to him.

"What is it, Flarestrike? If you're worried about the kits then you could've just asked me, we-"

He silenced her with a lash of his tail.

"No, it's not about our kits. Cloverspirit, she's pregnant."

Ashfall's orange eyes widened dramatically.

"Innocent little Cloverspirit? Pregnant? Who's the-"

Once again, he cut her off. This looked like it annoyed her, but she was too shocked to protest.

"She didn't say, but since I'm her friend she came to me and-"

This time, Ashfall interrupted him.

"Why didn't she ask Brightdream? I mean, she's pregnant and her sister!"

Her voice rose a little and Flarestrike hissed.

"Brighdream... would go and tell Cinderstar. Plus, we kind of have a mutual understanding."

It wasn't a complete lie, even though he doubted Brightdream would tattle on her sister, though she might throw a huge fit, and THEN she might go and tell.

As Ashfall listened to him, her eyes expectant, he sighed, "She was wondering if you could claim these kits as your own."

She nodded slowly, frowning.

"Flarestrike, this is a lot to ask of me... but if Cloverspirit wants to sleep around and have kits when she's supposed to be taking care of her clan, well then let her suffer!"

The ginger tom's tail bushed out with surprise.

"I don't want to have any part in that big lie! Medicine cats having kits is about the worst thing in the whole warrior code!"

She clawed her way out of the tree hollow, giving him a ferocious look.

"I can't believe you, and Cloverspirit most of all! You'll both be lucky if I don't go and tell Rayshine! I'm your mate! You shouldn't be asking me to take care of other queen's kits simply because they can't bear to face the consequences of their actions!"

And with that, the grey queen swept herself around a bush and disappeared. Flarestrike growled, anger rising up like bile in his throat.

_Have some compassion! We never meant for this to happen! It was just... what it was! Ugh! She-cats!_

Flarestrike snorted and charged after her.

**And we can predict the next part. BAM BAM BITCH. Nah, not really. R&R! Thanks to my one faithful reviewer, rofl! You make me feel like I can still write because I actually have a purpose! -holds up sparkly pen and makes a :D face- Ahah. **


	16. A Final Acceptance

**I almost forgot to put Lightpaw in this chapter! So sorry my ginger friend! Oh, that brings me to another matter. What is wrong with Firestar's lineage? I mean, Squirrelflight came out barren and Jayfeather turned out blind. He must have some pretty freaked up genes. :O Enjoy anyway. **

Cloverspirit paced in her den, tail tip twitching. Worry engulfed her for her kits, and she swore she could feel them wriggling in response to her emotions. If Flarestrike failed... she couldn't imagine what would happen! She could be exiled! Or worse, she would go and tell Brightdream. Lightpaw watched her curiously from where she sat on her nest, head tipped. Just as she had expected to young cat had very much blossomed and revealed a personality almost identical to her sister's. Sharp tongued and humorous.

"What are you walking around like that for?" She mewed, and Cloverspirit shrugged.

"Just hot..."

Blazepaw's disappointment dragged at her paws as she poked her head out of the lichen, and very much to her surprise, Ashfall burst into camp. Her eyes were livid and Cloverspirit had to stop herself from shrieking as those eyes settled on her. The grey queen pounded towards her right as her cat in shining armor burst through the entrance, his own yellow eyes stretched to an expression that could only be explained as pure horror. _Oh no, Flarestrike, what have you done? _She thought as Ashfall shoved her way into Cloverspirit's den. It was sunhigh and most of the camp was out hunting, some were napping.

Cinderstar was laying on her rock den and giving herself a thorough wash. Lightpaw gave a furious snarl as some of her hard work was scattered across the rock floor in the form of berries. Cloverspirit felt herself being pushed down and suddenly Ashfall was all up in her face.

"How dare you!" She snarled, and the white queen mewed desperately.

"Flarestrike what have you done?"

Lightpaw growled, defending her mentor. She pushed off from the floor and smacked Ashfall on the nose, heaving her off Cloverspirit as well. Flarestrike moved to stand in front of Cloverspirit and panted, his tail raised.

"Stop it!" Ashfall halted and Lightpaw hissed, "Can somebody please tell me what just happened?"

Cloverspirit rolled a few juniper berries back to their rightful place.

"Nursery fever." She mewed quickly but Ashfall just spat in disgust.

"I don't have nursery fever! How about you, Ms. Sleep Around? Flarestrike told me everything? How dare you abandon your clan for a bunch of kits then ask me to take up responsibility?"

Lightpaw swung her light ginger tabby head from one she-cat to the other.

"Woah whoa. Kits? Sleeping around? Cloverspirit! Tell me what's going on!"

Her green eyes stared into Flarestrike's yellow and slowly, the world came to sense. _Ashfall had refused. And now, she knew... oh Starclan! _Scrambling to her paws she shivered, her white tail fluffed out.

"Nothing Lightpaw!"

She meowed loudly and Ashfall snarled, crouching down onto her belly. Flarestrike pounced, his paws landing on her shoulders.

He flatted her underneath him, and growled, "Cloverspirit, run!"

Knowing she had to run, had to escape this terrible fate she had brought upon herself she turned and sped out of her den and into the camp. Flarestrike hopped off the grey she-cat, whose orange fur flashed against hers as they stood looking at eachother, fur bristling. 

"Why are you defending her? Amberclan can't bear the weight of any hidden lies!"

Lightpaw had obviously connected the dots, though her eyes weren't very concerned.

"Ashfall I think you're blowing this all out of proportion..." She whispered, but the grey queen gave her a steely glare.

"Because I'm her m-friend. And I don't want her to suffer!"

His voice raised a little and she frowned, snarling with anger.

"Fine. Fine. I'll accept these little mistaken burdens. But, not because I care for Cloverspirit, or because you told me to. I'm doing it for the little innocent lives of this affair."

Flarestrike's shoulders sagged with relief, and it came out in his voice, "Oh thank you."

Ashfall flattened her ears, temper cooled.

"Why do you sound so relieved? I mean, shouldn't it be Cloverspirit thanking me?"

Her lip curled, "She high-tailed it outta here, the coward."

Flarestrike turned around, "I'll find her for you."

And he pounded away and out of the camp, startling Brightdream as she came in. She gave a hiss and turned around to look at him curiously, but said nothing as he traced her sister's scent away from Amberclan.

**Of course, Ashfall says that now, but truly she turns out to be one of the kittens worst enemies in AFL. :/ R&R!**


	17. Three Weeks Later

**Agh, this chapter was such a pain. Calculating how old the queens were, how big they would be and what they could do! My cat book was a great help though :3 This is where the mentor-apprentice relationship really comes into play, even if Cinderstar is a bit blind-sided by it.  
**  
All seemed to be going well in Amberclan. Silentstream had confirmed her pregnancy a little while ago, and Ashfall and Brightdream were all growing. Flarestrike and Ashfall seemed to be making good progress to the bare eye.

But, to Cloverspirit, and the eye that followed him, it was obviously not okay. Sharing tongues was awkward and when he offered to share prey with her they chewed silently. Rayshine was blind to his sister's problems as he focused on Brightdream as she entered her second week of her second month of queenhood. She had moved to the vacant nursery, stale since it had last been used when Sharpclaw had been a kit; and Rayshine had volunteered to stay with her until Brightdream and Ashfall grew large enough to move there.

Oblivious to her sister's growth, which happened to be noticeable now to Flarestrike, Ashfall, and Sharpclaw. Her stomach was rounded, but not too round, and she often ate two mouses instead of her usual one in the mornings, which was a good cover-up. As Flarestrike trotted over to her crunching on her second, she lifted her head, green eyes sparkling.

"Hello Flarestrike." She mewed, tail sweeping across the ground.

"It's been 28 sunrises. And nobody has noticed." He nodded, giving her a quick ear lick.

His head lifted to look around, only to see Cinderstar walking towards him, her ears pricked. She opened her mouth:

"Cloverspirit, Flarestrike, may I see you in my den?"

A ripple of terror ran through his gut and he followed after his blue-grey leader as she slipped down into her den. Cloverspirit followed, landing on the floor with a yawn. Cinderstar took her time settling down into her nest and tucking her paws under her chin until she fixed him with a look he hadn't seen since he had blown his first assesment. Disappointment, and a small glimmer of hope. Like he could improve; which he had.

"I want to know what's going on in my clan." She began, which made him shudder.

"I want to know what is happening between my medicine cat and my former apprentice."

Her blue eyes intensified, and he had to hold himself to keep himself from bolting.

As he opened his mouth to blurt out some lie, Cloverspirit mewed calmly, "Nothing is happening. What would make you think such a thing?"

Her voice was smooth and inncocent, and he clamped his jaws shut.

Cinderstar's tail lashed and she frowned at them, "Flarestrike might be good at lying, and I have to give you a few mouse-tails, but I know better. Your little rendevous with Ashfall won't help to keep the truth from your leader."

Her head tipped from Cloverspirit to Flarestrike, and he let out a breath of air.

"What truth?" He meowed, and Cinderstar leapt to her paws.

"Cloverspirit. You're pregnant."

She said, and the white queen's eyes went round as saucers.

"N...no... you see... Brightdream... her scent..."

Then her shoulders slumped in absolute defeat. Flarestrike looked on in horror. _Oh Starclan! My leader knows I did the medicine cat! _

Cinderstar simply blinked, sat down, and wrapped her tail around her paws, "I like to keep a close eye on my cats. And when Cloverspirit and you disappeared while she was in heat and then came back in the morning, oh Flarestrike!"

She hissed with a scolding tone, "You silly tom!"

The ginger tom hung his head too, he felt so much like her apprentice now.

"_OH Flarepaw, did you put beetles in the fresh-kill pile again? What have I told you about that?" _

_"But-but Cinderstar, Raypaw was making fun of me! I had to do something!" "_

_You silly apprentice!" _

Cinderstar's unhappy mew brought him back to the present.

"What will the clan do if it finds out its medicine cat is pregnant? You'll both be driven out for sure! What of the kits!"

She glared at them and Flarestrike found his voice.

"Ashfall is going to take them." Her blue eyes widened with surprise.

"So, Ashfall was all a part of your plan?"

Flarestrike nodded bodly, wondering why she hadn't exiled them. But as he met her eyes, she realized they were soft and sad.

"My apprentice and my medicine cat..." She murmured, "And little lives hanging in the balance."

Cloverspirit stood up, her tail wrapping around his stomach and standing him up too.

"I guess we'll go now, since I guess you'll be announcing-"

Cinderstar looked at her, startled. "No, I can't, I won't exile you. As small as Amberclan is now, we can't bear to lose our medicine cat again and a warrior."

Cloverspirit's green eyes glowed as she remembered her mentor, Shadownight, fending for himself for a large greencough outbreak while his scarcely trained medicine cat stumbled around. Then he flopped down into his nest, and looked Cloverspirit straight in the eye.

_The black tom panted as he curled into his nest, eyes bloodshot and legs trembling with exhaustion. Cloverpaw skittered into the den as he gave a small cough. _

_"Can I get you something to eat Shadownight?" _

_She asked, her fluffy face eager as she looked at her mentor. _

_"S-Shadow... night?" His eyes were closed now, and he gave a yawn. _

_"Let me sleep..." _

_He grumbled and, used to this kind of rude behavior, she walked forwards, "You haven't eaten for three days! Barely slept!" _

_She cried and he shook his head, "Save it... for cats... who - need it..." A_

_nother yawn shook his body and his head tipped off to the side, committing the ultimate sacrifice for his clan. "_

_No!" She wailed, looking from side to side. P_

_awing up some herbs she had absolutely no clue what they were, she dropped them in front of his muzzle. "_

_Shadownight? Shadownight! No! There is so much I have to learn!" _

_A breeze had stirred the den, whisking away the leaves as Cinderstar raced in._

From there is was all a blur.

Flarestrike shivered with relief as Cloverspirit stared at her paws, eyes wide. _What will Shadownight think? _Cinderstar looked from cat to cat, her eyes pained.

"It's Starclan's will that medicine cats not have kits. They are supposed to put the clan above everything else."

Cloverspirit's voice shook as she mewed, "I know that. It's just... when I got my medicine cat name and saw Brightdream, looking so happy as a warrior, something happened. I changed my mind. But, I had no apprentice, and I was so young. I have put the clan above everything else! You have no idea..."

She dipped her head towards her chest, "Why can't Starclan make sacrifices for me?"

Her claws sank into the ground as Cinderstar tipped her head, then licked Cloverspirit's muzzle.

"I watched your kitting. When I was only then yours as Cinderstar. I knew that you two were going to be two beautiful cats, with a wonderful life. I won't exile you, and I won't judge you harshly. But... if something happens and the clan finds out, there will be no saving you."

Her gaze tore at Cloverspirit's before she flicked her tail at them to be dismissed.

**Cinderstar never had kits as Cindercloud. She might not have had a suitable tom at the time, considering how small their clan was. So, who knows, she might've been sympathizing with Cloverspirit and that had been why she had let them off so easily. It's kinda how I see Bluestar's reaction to FirexSpotted. **


	18. Another Three Long Weeks

**This, is probably my most favorite chapter in the whole story. I mean it! It was fun to write, back up in Flarestrike's POV when for part of it he's not dealing with Cloverspirit or Ashfall, and Brightdream gives birth! Amberclan cats have a certein gene that makes their litters small. There is one exception though! (Sorry my updates have been late. Soccer+homework+school has been draining me)  
**  
A terrible yowl rang around the camp. Flarestrike's fur stood on end as he looked towards the nursery where Brightdream would be laying, writhing with pain of her contractions. Ashfall and Silentstream both sat outside, their stomachs now very round and the pinks of their nipples highlighted their stomachs. Cloverspirit seemed to be safe. Now on her 7th week, she had also grown very large, but after eating that strange herb Leafpool had used, her nipple swelling had died down any suspicion that might've been coming around.

But, now with Cinderstar in on it, it was a lot easier since she often made jokes about Cloverspirit's weight. _Don't eat all the robins in the fresh kill pile, those are my favorite! Eat all the mice instead! _Flarestrike looked down at his paws, his fur burning with anger at the thought of Rayshine in the nursery, egging Brightdream on as she gave birth to their creations. A sigh broke through the clan, and it began to buzz in his ears.

"A tom! A little warrior!" Was meowed over and over into the next eager ear.

Cloverspirit came from the nursery, looking like she was about to fall asleep on her paws. She weaved expertly through the crowd and Flarestrike intercepted her.

"Anything I can get you? Rabbit or two? Moss and water?"

He would bring some to Ashfall later. "I just need some sleep."

She yawned, and slipped past him into her den.

Rayshine practically flew from the nursery, "I'm a father! A kitten! One beautiful little tom!"

He cried to Starclan, and then turned and swept back in. Ashfall and Silentstream disappeared back into the nursery and his heart sunk with dismay. He would have to bring Ashfall fresh-kill into there. Where Rayshine and Brightdream were. Oh no. Picking out a juicy blue-jay, he trotted towards the nursery, collected himself at the entrance, and dove in. It was slightly crowded with Rayshine's bulky warrior body covering part of the entrance.

"Ashfall, I brought you something-" He broke off as a little mew sounded nearby.

His eyes drifted down to see a tiny brown and white tom, his pelt streaked with the white, mainly around his neck and paws and in a tiny blaze running up his pink nose. Brightdream was licking him slowly, her eyes half closed with content. He had never seen her looking so lovely, even if she was tired after birth. Rayshine had his head laying on her paws and he was looking intently at the kit.

"W-what's his name?"

Flarestrike stuttered, and Brightdream glanced up, her dark green eyes shining with motherly love.

"Eaglekit." She breathed, and then lay her head on Rayshine's neck.

Her eyes closed as the tiny tom kneaded at her belly. His attention turned to Ashfall, and she purred and licked his nose, then looked at the bird.

Her nose wrinkled, "Is that for me?" She asked with a sneering tone.

"Uh-yes..."

Flarestrike was standing over Rayshine, and poor Silentstream looked squished enough.

"I'm craving raccoon!" She announced and he dropped the blue bird.

"Raccoon?" It bounced on the floor of the den, and she frowned at him.

"Yeah. And some blue berries. Will you please fetch that for me? Please?"

Her orange eyes grew wide and, not wanting to look bad in front of Rayshine and wake up Brighdream, he nodded and stalked back outside. Dropping the dusty blue-jay on the pile he looked around before disappearing out of the entrance of the camp. Quickly he found Ashfall's blue berry bush, with stale scents of her and him lingering around it. It wasn't abnormal for her to want blueberries.

Really, she ate them atleast every other sunrise. Picking off a few but not a lot so that he could still have more, he dropped them and covered them in a little dirt. Padding along, he sniffed the scent trails that criss-crossed, some fresher than the others. _Raccoon! What kind of queen craves raccoon? _

The striped bandit's hadn't been seen in Amberclan territory since he had been born! Or, it's just that they were like ancient Shadowclan and preferred hunting at night. Settling into the nook of a tree, he splayed himself across the branch and day-dreamed. _What would he and Cloverspirit's kits look like? Would they be toms or she-cats? How many are there? What will their names be? _And he fell asleep to the visions of his beautiful kits and Cloverspirit's.

_Huh? _It was dark and a few Starclan warriors shone brightly. He jumped up on the branch.

"Oh no! I overslept!"

Realizing he had supposed to be scouting for raccoons, he jumped down and rapidly ran through the forest. Oh, Ashfall! I'm so sorry! No raccoons... oh _no_ you aren't. Naturally, a racoon , was sitting by the bush, its grippy litle paws pulling berries off the bush and popping them in its mouth. The pile was already gone. It cackled with its weird voice and looked around, eyes glowing in the pale moonlight. Flarestrike grinned, he hadn't had a good fight since Sharpclaw had been injured with the dogs.

Rounding the creature silently as it turned its blue stained muzzle this way and that way, he wiggled his hindquarters. He had never tasted raccoon. Springing forwards, he crushed the smaller creature under him and sank his teeth into its neck. It gasped and squirmed, letting out a squeal of terror before it died. Limply, it fell to the ground and spat out a few extra berries. Flarestrike gazed at it for a moment before he stuffed what what left of the berries in its mouth and began to drag it back to camp.

Northpaw was sitting at the entrance as the guard and she sprang away as he neared her with it.

"Yuck! Did you kill that? Aren't they like... rare around here?"

He nodded and dropped it in the center of the camp as a few cats came to investigate. None had been wondering where he had been of course.

"Oh Flarestrike." Ashfall shot from the nursery, her belly swinging below her.

"I thought you might've been killed!" She looked at the raccoon with hunger.

"Where're the berries?" Staring around as he pointed his tail at the mouth, she looked up expectantly.

"In there." Frowning, she scooped them out and chewed on them.

The whole clan, besides Cloverspirit who was fast asleep, had gathered around. Ashfall crunched down into the raccoon and tugged off a piece. She chewed on it and then reared back, spitting it out.

"Yuck! It tastes like crowfood!"

And she shook her head, flicking her tail in and out like a snake. Flarestrike seethed, _you made me do that just so that I could get a stiff neck from laying in a tree not even to eat it? Why'd you crave it then, you mouse-brain?_

And he turned around and trotted towards Cloverspirit's den, mewing, "Bellyache." As he went. Instead of being treated by Cloverspirit he flopped down beside her as she stretched out in her newly expanded nest and curled on beside her, putting his head on her stomach with his ear on her stomach.

And, right under his chin, a little bump welcomed him.

**Yes, yes, how touching. Yeah, well, after Ashfall's strange cravings, I'm sure he needed that to cheer him up. Plus, it really helps him create a stronger bond with the kits, which will definately be needed later! R&R, thankies to my single reviewer and the peeps who alerted!**


	19. Final Two Weeks

**Aha, you get to meet Cloverspirit and Ashfall's kits in this one. Trust, me, they are all cuties. Well, Cloverspirit's anyway. Flarestrike agrees. :}  
**  
Cloverspirit waddled towards the nursery and saw Crowtalon and Sharpclaw waiting for her. Rayshine stood by the entrance too, his tail raised high. Ever since Brightdream had given birth to Eaglekit, he seemed to have made himself king of the nursery. The little scrap had opened his eyes four days after birth and could already see properly.

He stumbled around, "Momma, where do babies come from?"

He asked, trying to crawl towards Silentstream to see.

"You'll learn about that later."

Her sister said as she gave him a fierce lick on the head, "When you're older."

Eaglekit was dragged back to Brightdream and let him lay on her forepaws while she watched Silentstream. The queen had insisted on not having any help, and after a long while, which by then Rayshine had left and Eaglekit had fallen alseep, she gave birth to her final kit, a handsome tom they named Icekit, his sister named Stormkit. Silentstream gave herself a minor wash before she happily fell asleep with her litter.

Crowtalon and Sharpclaw were plenty happy, with Sharpclaw mewing, "I have siblings! Finally!"

Cloverspirit, satisfied with this day's work before Flarestrike, who had once again been waiting on the outskirts of the nursery, trotted towards her. He gave her a casual ear lick and then looked her in the eye.

"You okay? I mean... how many... can you tell?"

Curiously, his ears swiveled towards her stomach and his heart swelled when he remembered when one of the kits had kicked him in the chin.

Cloverspirit smiled sweetly at him, "I want it to be a surprise."

She mewed, and looked towards Ashfall, the only known queen that hadn't given birth yet.

"I think your _mate_ wants you." She scowled and glanced up at him.

Ashfall was looked anxiously towards him, her tail lifted. He gave Cloverspirit a parting glance before he dragged himself towards his 'mate'. The grey she-cat licked his nose and purred, rubbing herself under his chin. He purred back, trying to keep them from choking up his throat.

"Soon." She promised, and nuzzled him.

Flarestrike watched as she disappeared into the nursery, full of happy purrs. He only hoped Cloverspirit's kits would be as full of joy as those.

"Flarestrike! I told you, its time!" Ashfall hissed, her teeth clenching.

This time, he had actually hurt himself while on a border patrol when he began day-dreaming again and had stepped on a very, very sharp rock. Cloverspirit had been carressing his pad in long licks that took the stinging away when his 'mate' had burst in.

Cloverspirit's eyes widened and she looked at her, "Okay, c'mon! I already have my plan!"

Scooping up a bunch of herbs in her jaws, she charged out of camp as fast as she could go. Flarestrike limped after her while Ashfall padded after him and he lifted his tail and lay it on her shoulders.

A few cats seemed curious and he heard Cinderstar meow, "She must want to give birth away from the nursery. It's very crowded in there now..."

_Thank you. _He thought while Cloverspirit weaved towards the hollowed tree and there she sat her herbs. Ashfall lay down in the spongy grass and growled, looking at the medicine cat.

"I'm going to have to induce myself to make the transfer possible."

Cloverspirit said as she ate a bunch of leaves he recognized as borage, with as much as she was using with all the queens, the whole clan smelled of them. Ashfall's contractions had already been going on for a while before Cloverspirit's started. Looking from cat the cat, he turned to Ashfall as she gave a push.

A kit flopped onto the grass and immediately she began to lick it. His ears pricked as he looked at it, curious, but not the same fatherly love as when he had felt Cloverspirit's kits. As the sac peeled away, it revealed a silver kit and Ashfall purred, lapping at its head.

"A tom." She said, looking at Flarestrike with love in her eyes. "Isn't he wonderful?"

The grey she-cat pulled him towards her stomach and looked at Cloverspirit. Flarestrike was watching her too and he longed to wrap himself around her a lick her ears and murmur encouraging words like Rayshine had. As the first kit began to suckle and Ashfall began contractions again, Cloverspirit delivered her first kit. It fell onto the grass and she looked at it before leaning to lick it.

Flarestrike looked intently at it, "A boy? A girl?"

He yammered while she cleaned away everything. "Tom."

She murmured, purring too as dragged the white kit towards her, so much like Cloverspirit. He almost stretched his head forwards to breath in its newborn scent when Ashfall gave a grunt. Another one of her kits fell onto the ground and when she had cleaned it, it revealed a light brown she-cat that resembled his sister, Embersky.

"My beautiful, beautiful kits..."

She murmured, curling up with them while her eyes examined Cloverspirit.

"So, who's the father?" Ashfall asked and Cloverspirit jerked her head up with surprise.

"Oh... just some rogue... from twolegplace..."

The grey she-cat wrinkled her nose with a disbelieving look in her eyes but she didn't pry. As she pushed again and another kit fell out, Flarestrike couldn't resist and he moved to the opposite side and looked at it.

"Go ahead, just lick it." As he dragged his tongue across the slick surface, it popped open.

He squeaked, wondering if he had hurt the kit. Cloverspirit laughed softly and leaned over to eat something and Flarestrike watched her as she did so. She-cats ate some pretty weird things for their kits. Like their kits' dirt. This kit was a light silver, so light, she seemed almost Starclan-like.

"A she-cat..." Cloverspirit murmured and he looked down upon her.

A daughter! I have a daughter! His claws sank into the dirt as he thought about the toms that would pad about her, murmuring, wanting her.

"You okay?" Ashfall asked, sounding weary.

He nodded darkly, watching Cloverspirit. As he watched his next child being born, all of their memories together came running back. That first night of sleeping next to her, all the times they had talked and the butterflies in his belly, the glowing cave where they mated and all the looks on her face when she had gazed at him after that. It all meant so much... he wanted to yowl at Ashfall to go away!

"Another she-cat." She purred, licking the she-cat's reddish fur.

His legs trembled, _another daughter! Oh look, she's exactly like me! _The kitten gave a shrill meow and crawled towards Cloverspirit, pushing her sister away from Cloverspirit's belly to search for the milk that wasn't there. Ashfall looked curiously at that particular kit and Flarestrike didn't care if she saw the resemblance.

"Are there more?"

He whispered and the white she-cat, now looking a little sleepy, nodded. Flarestrike kneaded the ground, _how many more are in there?_ Her stomach had deflated a little from the kittens being born, but she still winced as her last contraction came very fast. Suddenly, she gave a squeak and another kit landed on the grassy ground.

"Last one." Cloverspirit said, now sounding very tired.

And she licked away at the kit, and suddenly her fur bristled and she looked down at the kit in sheer horror.

"What- what?" Ashfall's ears suddenly perked, startled by her medicine cat's expression.

"He... he's identical to my dead brother, Blazepaw!"

**Okay, so yeah. You get to know the whole Blazepaw-Blazekit thing in the prologue of AFL, and yes, he is an incarnation. (No spoiler there since it's so obvious! Just like the Cinderpelt-Cinderheart thing! Ugh!). Ashfall, was very suspicious in this chapter with Flarestrike being all YEAH CLOVERSPIRIT'S KITS and then he's like... oh Ashfall, I'll just stand... over there... while you give birth, 'kay? And so, her character begins the 180. :0 R&R!**


	20. My Devotion

**The chapter where the name comes into play! Argh Cloverspirit! Enjoy! :)  
**  
Cloverspirit stared at the kit for a moment before she continued her job as a mother and cleaned off her kit, and he gave a mew and crawled towards her.

"W-I have four kits..."

She said quietly, and Flarestrike gave both she-cats glances towards the kits.

"What're their names?" He asked, and Ashfall placed her tail on the silver tom.

"This is Moonkit."

She looked expectantly at Flarestrike, "What should we name the she-kit?"

The brown kitten was climbing over her brother, kneading his head with her pink mouth wide in a yawn.

"Acornkit."

He said quickly, realizing with a flash that neither of his and Ashfall's kits looked like him. Well, neither litter had a kit that looked like him except for... the red she-cat was crawling under the Blazepaw twin, pushing him out of her way. He gave an indignant mew and fell onto his back, only to have Cloverspirit pick him back up.

"Acornkit, cute." Ashfall said, mewing her kits names in their closed ears.

Flarestrike looked at Cloverspirit and their eyes met. Her eyes grew sad, and she pulled her tail around her kits.

"Want to help me name them?"

She asked, and then quickly added at a glance from Ashfall, "-since you did set this up."

Flarestrike nodded eagerly, "Okay, I'll take the she-cats and you get the toms?"

The white queen nodded, giving a small smile. He put his tail on the ghostly she-kit,

"Featherkit." He said, and Cloverspirit purred in approval and he swept his tail towards the reddish she-kit, his twin.

"Applekit."

He said, there were enougn cats in his family named after something or another relative to fire. She was going to be different.

Cloverspirit looked at the toms, "This is Snowkit."

She declared, nuzzling his small body.

"And this... is Blazekit."

Her eyes grew haunted as she stared at the grey tabby, so odd from the rest of his littermates. Flarestrike's ears grew arect because there was something coming through the undergrowth!

"Quick!" And he picked up Featherkit and placed her in the midst of Ashfall's.

Cloverspirit let out a hiss, then realizing what he was doing, quickly gave her kits to the grey queen. But, then she flopped back down and panted. Her kits began to cry loudly, and she flattened her ears and got a pained look on her face. Suddenly, there was a young voice, and a light ginger head stuck her way into the bushs. Her muzzle broadened into a grin as she took in the scene.

"I knew it!" Flarestrike sighed, at this rate the whole clan would know anyway!

"You've been training me, Cloverspirit! I think I would know that my mentor was pregnant! Are yours the ones that are crying?"

Lightpaw pushed her way through the undergrowth and sniffed at the four kits frantically climbing over their adopted siblings in order to reach their mother.

"Yes. The grey tabby tom is Blazekit, the silver she-kit is Featherkit, the red she-kit is Applekit and the white tom is Snowkit."

Ashfall nudged the kits off her own, gently though, and meowed proudly, "This is Acornkit and Moonkit!"

Lightpaw looked at all of them, flabbergasted.

"Wow! Four kits! You're going to have your paws full. How will you continue your duties though?"

Cloverspirit shook her head, "Ashfall will be taking them."

Lightpaw tipped her head, "Why?"

Ashfall growled, "Because, it's forbidden for medicine cats to have kits. Durh."

Cloverspirit tensed, as if gauging Lightpaw's reaction.

But, the ginger she-cat just shrugged, "Oh. Well, are we going to take them back to camp? Raccoons might be out and about."

She gave Flarestrike a glance before she scooped up Featherkit and Acornkit in her jaws. Cloverspirit opened her mouth, her eyes growing round. _This will be the last time she can truly spend time with her kits..._

Flarestrike said, and as he watched her pick up Blazekit and Snowkit, he wondered if they were doing the right thing. Picking up Applekit and leaving Moonkit to Ashfall, they began trudging back to camp.

The clan greeted them warmly as they came in, with astonished gasps of, "Five kits! How will she manage? Look at all those tiny warriors for Amberclan!"

Cinderstar caught Flarestrike's eye, and then she looked at Cloverspirit and her eyes grew wide. The white queen was disappearing into the medicine cat den, taking Blazekit with her! The clan hadn't seen Blazekit yet, and Flarestrike knew he had to get her away from that kit before she became too attached, or, well, more than she already was. He charged into the medicine cat den only to see her curling into her nest with Blazekit tucked into her belly. He was mewing, seeking food that she couldn't give.

"Cloverspirit! You have to give Blazekit to Ashfall!"

Flarestrike said, but she just cracked open her eyes which were now bright with fury.

"No."

His mouth fell open, "No!"

The small grey tabby pawed around for a moment before he fell silent, his sides falling rythmically with sleep.

"These are my kits!" She hissed, slipping gently from her nest.

"And yours! Ashfall... I don't want her to take care of them! _I _want to take care of them! Flarestrike, you don't understand! You're a tom!"

Flarestrike shook his head, "No! I won't let you throw away all that we've worked through!"

He dove for the kit but Cloverspirit reared up and slammed her paws down in front of him, her lips drawn back into a snarl.

"Fine! If you won't tell them, I will! You don't have to be the father!"

Flarestrike's fur bristled with frustration, soon the clan would notice their raised voices and find Blazekit in her nest... oh Starclan, stop being such a stubborn queen.

"You can barely feed them, remember? Another thing we worked for!"

Cloverspirit headbutted him in the chest and she pushed him down onto the ground before she swung around, grabbed Blazekit and raced into the camp.

**Really, I was going to make her give them up but since the characters write the stories here and I thought more into her character, I decided she wouldn't be strong enough to watch Ashfall raise them. She doesn't like Ashfall because she's morbidly jealous(even though Ashfall likes her because she's clueless to Flare x Clover). So, here we go. One more chapter! Eep! R&R!**


	21. Darkness

**I don't like this chapter. Cloverspirit acts... un-like herself. This whole thing just bothers me to no ends. But it's too long to re-do. :/ Try to enjoy.  
**  
Cloverspirit knew exactly what she was doing when she took Blazekit back into her nest. Flarestrike... oh her loving, caring Flarestrike, only wanted the best for his kits. But no, she was selfish. Always a selfish she-cat! Never selfless enough to sacrifice anything for her clan! And now, she was going to take away her kit's proper futures simply because she couldn't bear the thought of them scurrying around with those... _other _kits.

"Selfish." She growled in betwen Blazekit's tuft of fur.

The clan turned around when they saw her with Blazekit and they all looked confused. Cinderstar's face dropped and Cloverspirit heard Flarestrike burst from the medicine cat den. Then he skidded to a stop and watched. She lay Blazekit down gently and pushed her way through the crowd of cats.

"What're you doing?" Ashfall hissed as she detached her kits from her teats and lay them by Blazekit one at a time.

Then she sat down and tucked them under her. "What... what's going on?"

Whiteleaf, her father and the deputy demanded.

"Why have you brought four of Ashfall's kits out here?"

Cloverspirit couldn't look her father in his namesake green eyes and say it.

So instead, her turned her head and looked at Cinderstar, "These aren't Ashfall's kits. They're mine."

Lightpaw, Sharpclaw, Cinderstar and Flarestrike all let out little gasps of horror. Ashfall was poking her head out of the nursery and looking worriedly at the four scraps now crying underneath her. Cloverspirit let out a snarl and everybody looked around, bewildered.

Brightdream was shoving her way through the crowd, "Cloverspirit!"

She yowled, looking angry. "How could you betray your clan!"

Cloverspirit shook her head, "I haven't betrayed the clan. I might've betrayed Starclan, but when I die, I'll let them judge me."

Rayshine was licking his mate's ears gently as Brightdream shook with rage, "I can't believe you! After all that training you just throw it away!"

Cloverspirit, her name now crumbling, growled at her sister, "I have Lightpaw! I haven't thrown anything away."

Sunflower stepped from the crowd, her ears low and her eyes dull, "Well then. Who's the father?"

Cloverspirit looked towards Flarestrike and then began, "Just some rogue from the twolegplace. His name was-"

Suddenly, she found a light ginger tom standing beside her.

"Me. I'm the father."

There was a wail from the nursery and Ashfall burst through the crowd, snarling viciously.

"You! You lied to me! And then tried to get me to take her kits? I should tear your throat out you lying, cheating, sleeping, dirty tom!"

Flarestrike shivered as he found all eyes on him.

Cloverspirit gave him a smile that made his heart flutter and she leaned on his shoulder.

"Exile them!"

Ashfall crowed, her tail lashing and whipping Flarestrike's astonished sisters in the face.

Cinderstar began to pad towards them, "No. They will not be exiled and four little lives sent to their deaths. She has no milk, can't you see?"

Everybody glared at them as they padded towards the medicine cat den, each carrying two kits. Cloverspirit immediately ate more borage and then lay down with her kits, washing herself.

"Thanks." She murmured at Flarestrike. "Thanks for sticking up for me."

Lightpaw trotted through the den entrance, looking un-phased. "Geez. Clan cats and their Starclan ways."

She growled, then saw Cloverspirit.

Her tail shot up in the air, "I'm glad you can still be my mentor!"

The light ginger apprentice gave a large grin before Cinderstar burst through the entrance.

"What happened?" She cried. "You had it all perfectly mapped out! Why-"

Then she gazed at Cloverspirit for a minute, and understood.

Cloverspirit shook her head, "I knew. I knew as soon as I went into labor."

She murmured. Flarestrike sat down, his shoulders hunched. Both his and Cloverspirit's family made up most of the clan. Their kits would be shunned and so would they. But they still had eachother, if Ashfall didn't claw them both to pieces. Sharpclaw trotted in, his navy blue eyes wide. Northpaw was at his shoulder and she glanced from Cloverspirit to Lightpaw. Lightpaw was sitting beside the white queen and licking her paw calmly.

Behind Sharpclaw, Silentstream came through, her ears pricked curiously at the kits. Cloverspirit now had a very contented look on her face and she slowly lifted her eyes to Silentstream's.

"I'll feed them until your milk comes in if you want." She said.

Cloverspirit nodded and sat up, "Thanks. Just keep them away from Ashfall and those rats of hers."

Flarestrike winced, _those rats are my kits too. _

Silentstream left her to sleep with her litter until they woke up and then she sweeped out, growling something at somebody. Flarestrike climbed into the cleft of her den and lay down just like he had a few weeks ago. He gazed at the red kitten, Applekit, and smiled as she yawned and climbed over her sisters to sniff at him. Their noses touched and she jerked away from the moist surface.

Then she crawled back to her mother and let out a mew, pawing at her belly and sniffing. He gently grasped her in his jaws and took her to the nursery to find Silentstream watching him, her ears pricked.

"What's this ones name?" She asked.

"Meet Applekit." He said, letting her grab his, so far, favorite kit.

Cloverspirit woke up in the Starclan hunting grounds. Out of the mist, a figure approached her which she instantly recognized as Shadownight. His eyes were grim as he looked at her. She opened her mouth so that she could yowl she was sorry, but he shook his head.

"What you did was not right or wrong. Your future is un-secure. There is still an unsolved prophecy hanging in the air."

Her ears flicked up, she was still a medicine cat... right?

"Flames will leave a field of ash and bloom a field of spirits with loving paws. We have already figured out who the flames are. Flarestrike."

He curled his lip, "That tom you mated with."

Cloverspirit could feel heat rising through her fur.

"D-do you think that the last part is about m-me?"

Shadownight nodded, "It's possible. Though, our visions into the future are brief. Since we don't have as much ancestrial dust as the other clans, our power is small."

A field of ash? Ashfall, maybe? But, Flarestrike will leave Ashfall and bloom her? It didn't sound right on her tongue when she suggested it, and Shadownight shrugged again.

"I just have to warn you, my beloved apprentice, those kits you gave birth to are just like their father. They'll only stir up trouble."

Her white fur bristled and she found herself hissing at him, "My kittens are perfect! You just watch and see!"

Shadownight dipped his head, blue eyes flashing before he turned around and his body faded until the mist swallowed him up and she woke up to see Flarestrike bringing the rest of her kits out to Silentstream. She shivered as she looked at him, _that... that prophecy has to mean something deeper than that if it is un-solved! _

Applekit's belly was round and it looked like she had already eaten and she licked her head, "I love you." She whispered.

**The prophecy changed a tad to fit to the plot since it changed a little. Well, that's the end. There is no epilogue. I hope you had fun! xD R&R!**


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